Ellee Seymour

I know we are a nation of animal lovers, but isn’t this taking things a bit too far? Defra is prosecuting Great Yarmouth Borough Council following the death of two hedgehogs who ate rat poison.

Defra has pursued the case for three years, even though the RSPCA, Health and Safety Executive and police all dropped it. Costs have escalated to £10,000 on the council’s side – and could more than double. Defra has not disclosed its legal bill so far.

And who is really paying the final bill for this? Hasn’t Defra got far more important issues to worry about?

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I love a romantic story, see if you can beat this. The divine opera singer Marina Poplavskaya, a stunning Russian doll with the voice of an angel, is instantly swept off her feet after being crushed in the arms of the internationally renowned bass-baritone Robert Hale, despite him being 40 years older, who she marries. Marina, 29, now has three stepsons older than her, and seven grandchildren.

The soprano first met Hale on stage three years ago when he was singing The Flying Dutchman and she had stepped in to cover the challenging role of Senta.  

“I went on in Act Two and sang the lines about the doomed Dutchman needing a faithful wife. Robert and I had never even met. He looked at me, and embraced me so hard he was crushing my bones. It was love at first sight.

“The soul is never old. We manage. And I would like children of my own, however that fits into my career.”

That’s a huge age difference, I wonder what his sons feel about having a very glamorous and talented stepmother who is younger than them. And I wonder what she means by those two words ”we manage”, I’ll try not to read anything into it. After all, music is the food of love…..

Pic: courtesy of Oliver Lim

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I was over the moon to learn that the government has in effect climbed down over plans which could have seriously restricted the Freedom of Information Act.

Access to information from our government and local authorities is core to our democracy, but I really didn’t think we stood a chance in changing the minds of the powers that be over this.

However, the government may yet have second thoughts as a couple of days later, Gordon Brown’s pension scandal was revealed – info provided courtesy of FoI.

Cross-party MPs were outraged about the proposed changes which would have limited access to the FoI Act , with many strong critics from Labour itself, which is probably why the Department for Constitutional Affairs extended its consultation, in effect, kicking it in the grass.

The UK Press Gazette believes that effectively the move means that plans that had been condemned as “neutering” FoI for journalists may now be left for a new Prime Minister to decide. Hurray.

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