MY thanks to those splendid people at Tydd St Giles who inquired if I might be descended from Nicholas Brakespeare, who was once their vicar but then went on to become, in the 12th-century Pope Adrian IV, the only English pope. It seems they were rather h

MY thanks to those splendid people at Tydd St Giles who inquired if I might be descended from Nicholas Brakespeare, who was once their vicar but then went on to become, in the 12th-century Pope Adrian IV, the only English pope.

It seems they were rather hoping to get Brakespeare along this Sunday to cut the ribbon for their magnificent new toilets, complete with disabled facilities, financed by a fund raising campaign in the village.

Regrettably not and a prior engagement prevents me being on toilet duty, so to speak, on Sunday.

However, a colleague has happily accepted the invitation, and is looking forward to both the opening and a Songs of Praise which follows and then, of course, the traditional harvest auction in the local pub.

With a flower festival throughout the weekend, and much else on to boot, this sounds a jolly place to be.

WITH mayors, town and district council chairmen, the county council chairman- and even the mayor of Cambridge on the guest list - no wonder there's an issue of protocol in March this Sunday.

Chatteris, Whittlesey and Wisbech civic heads are all represented, but it's been a case of who comes before whom in the procession into St Mary's Church.

Brakespeare can only hope town clerk Clive Lemmon has learned well from an experience in Wisbech some years ago when the issue of precedence caused more controversy than the vicar's robust sermon.

THE Shoe Zone next to our Market Place office in Wisbech has been enjoying a remarkable sales boom, I trust, with their latest promotion - Buy One and Get One Free.

I didn't dare pop in to inquire if they were offering discounts for two left feet.