THE two big news stories of the week ending October 12:

1. The Royal wedding with the usual questions ie how much did it cost and who pays? However it would be churlish of me not to wish the happy couple all the best and this I do.

2. The couple off Strictly Come Dancing caught kissing – the fuss and bother over such a trivial item amazes me. But we should be grateful for small mercies as both of these non-stories put the dreaded B word onto the back burner for a while. Sadly this will not last.

Terence Fineran, Darlington