Whether it was because of the long and drawn out and to be honest somewhat boozy nature of the festive season's celebrations in these parts, or whether that was just the effect on our local journalists, news seemed to be non existent in the first week of the year.

In fact, I was beginning to think that the whole idea of logging a year's worth of news titbits from local papers was going to be a non- starter.

Our main local newspaper, The Northern Echo, and its free subsidiaries, report both local, national and international stories and so provide an eclectic mix every day.

I had so wanted to concentrate on purely local stories but on the 9th I was struck by these two stories which appeared on consecutive pages:

"Sheriff locked up in own jail after prisoners underfed" and "Boris stung by his own road toll".

The first story from Alabama was a truly sorry story of how power could corrupt, as it seems that the prisoners in question told of getting 'half an egg, a spoonful of oatmeal and one piece of toast for breakfasts. Lunch was usually a handful of crisps and two sandwiches with barely enough peanut butter to taste'. Meanwhile Sheriff Greg Bartlett from Morgan County Jail was running a very for-profits fancy food shop in the prison which took his personal salary up to 141,000 USD a year because of the money which he had saved on catering for the prisoners and which he was entitled to keep. We should be relieved that this was deemed to be "probably unconstitutional" and he is no doubt hoping that the next prison governor doesn't carry on where he left off.

Whilst we have probably no sympathy for the said Greg Bartlett, there is something touching about London Mayor Boris Johnson's admittance that he had been fined for failing to pay the congestion charges. Describing it as being "done by my own system" he then labelled the system as "wretched" and "crazy" and said that his case only highlighted the need for an "account-based" way of administering the congestion charges, convenient I guess for those who regularly intend to 'forget' to pay in the first place.

So, two stories which brightened up the beginning of the year and I hope a salutory lesson to law makers and upholders along the lines of being careful what you wish for.

Local stories follow.

Yes it is that cold here in Weardale - weathermen assure us it's because the wind is blowing straight from the Arctic - and why wouldn't we believe them? So here's looking forward to spring:

THE DECEMBER PLANTING

When at last the school break came,
and the weather was unseasonably warm,
I took a bag of half priced bulbs
and planted them.

It was late of course.

I tucked their lime green sproutings
into a bed of softest crumbling soil,
blanketed them with fallen leaves
as deep a chestnut brown as any seen,
and hoped to fate.

This morning I went out to see my sleepy bulbs;
for fear some black withering decay might rob
us of a spring display.

Into the brown black leafy crust I tried to delve
but nothing gave – diamond frost sparkled
against a swirling frozen foam, like a rock salt
mulch. Either a tomb or a protection.

I am praying for a short-lived death,
a good New Year
and an Easter resurrection.

Sujen
January 2009