Daily Post

Q Why Is Merseyside's Fire Service Planning to Fight Blazes Without Water? A Because Every Time Fire Crews Use Their Own Hydrants, They Will Be Charged Pounds 45

Foam tenders drafted in to avoid pounds 500k bill/ Larry Neild: P5 Olympics 'isn't robbing Liverpool'

Obituary: Robert Adler

WHO invented the TV remote control? More than pub quiz trivia, this device changed the world's viewing habits. That man, the patron saint of couch potatoes, was Robert Adler and, not much a viewer of television himself, he wasn't as impressed with his gadget as some of his other inventions.

The Daily Postcard

Works of Art

ARTWORK. What is significant to some is anathema to others. That, I suppose, is the point. To get people talking. Look at the recent debates and depth of feeling that washed over the Iron Men of Crosby, the positioning of the

Thought for the Day

PEOPLE are interesting creatures. They try to do the right thing, but more often than not it is the right thing in their own eyes, not in the eyes of God. This is where religion comes in. The moral framework is not so moveable when you recognise God's role in it all. It is harder to explain away one's own erratic behaviour when there is an absolute measure to go by - just as a standard yard causes problems for the cloth merchant who has his own short one. One aspect of this morality which we ...

The Belief in Magic That Lies Within

IT'S witchcraft, but not necessarily wicked as we know it, Jim, more sort of Wiccan. Our love affair with Harry Potter is, apparently, only the tip of the pointy-hatted iceberg. Britain, so long saddled with an image of sensible shoe-wearing, rose-growing, pie-munching, tea-drinking, sherry-sipping (OK, and binge-drinking) is, indefinably, undergoing something far more mysterious.

Just Don't Stand so Close

THAT '70s superband The Police is reforming, although insiders doubt whether its volatile, self-absorbed three members will make it through their 24-month comeback world tour. The signs aren't promising.

Sound of Laughter

THE best-selling biography of last year was Peter Kay's Sound of Laughter (as opposed to footballer Ashley Cole, who only shifted 2,300 copies of his two and a half decade life story). The roly-poly Bolton comedians' publishers coyly revealed that, yes, Peter had indeed written it all himself. Isn't it amazing that this should be the "unique selling point" for a master wordsmith?

Alan Davies Stages

THE shortage of programme ideas at ITV is shown by its blatant rip-off of BBC Two's Who Do They Think They Are? The ITV effort, You Don't know You're Born, also has celebs tracking down their roots, but doesn't bother with tedious footage of our heroes rummaging through dusty libraries.

Lord Mckenzie

IN A colossal piece of humbug, Lord McKenzie of Framwellgate, a Labour peer and government advisor on crime, escaped a fine and penalty points for speeding, by telling the court he couldn't establish who was driving his car at the time of the offence. Very unusually, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case because of this.

Time Out: Looking Back

Time Out: Quiz Challenge

1. The Earth is not a true sphere, being slightly flattened at the poles. What word most accurately describes its shape? 2. Which duo had a 1961 comedy hit with the song Bangers And Mash?

Restaurants: Tips

SHAKES aren't just a drink, they're an easy way of filling kids up in between meals. Teenage chef Sam Stern swears by smoothies and shakes and features them in his latest book, Real Food, Real Fast (Walker Books, pounds 9.99). One of his favourites is Chocolate Shake Classic, which he says "tastes great, works well as a sports drink". Method: Tip half a pint of milk into a jug. Add one tablespoon drinking chocolate and two scoops of best chocolate ice cream.

Restaurants: Gastro-Delight Definitely Worth the Wait ; It's Been Second Time Lucky for a Patient Glyn Mon Hughes

THE first time we attempted to dine at the Boat House, in Parkgate, was something of a strange experience. We'd made no booking and arrived early - at 6.30 - to be told there were no tables available until 8.30. There was not a soul in the place. Ravenous after a day's work, we took our hunger to more hospitable climes.

Restaurants: Different Coloured Fruit and Vegetables the Key to Fighting Off Diseases ; Eating In

WE ALL know we're supposed to eat several servings of fresh vegetables and fruits a day, but variety is also key. We should eat as many different colours of fruit and vegetables as possible, because the naturally occurring pigments that give them their colours offer an array of health benefits, boosting our immune system and helping us fight off disease. So resolve to delve into a new book, Main Dishes - New Healthy Kitchen. It's an easy guide to using vegetables and fruits, which are grouped...

Classical

A DISTINGUISHED, internationally renowned chamber music group visits Theatr Clwyd on Sunday night. It is the St Petersburg quartet, formed when the musicians graduated from the Leningrad Academy in 1986, and with three of the founders still members.

Cd Review

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Catch You (Polydor) Rating ** AFTER a lengthy break, which included having a baby, Sophie Ellis- Bextor, or "Posh Kylie" as I like to think of her, has returned.

Film: Dvd View

This Life +10 IT WAS never about them, you see, it was about us.

Film: A Classic to Write Home About ; the Big Picture

Letters From Iwo Jima (Cert 15) Starring: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase and Shidou Nakamura; director Clint Eastwood. 140 mins. Rating: *****

Film: Also Showing

The Good Shepherd (15) Rating: *** ROBERT DE NIRO steps behind the camera - and briefly in front of it - for this political thriller about the birth of the CIA.