'WHICH do you prefer - Cinnamon Grahams or Golden Grahams?" isn't the most obvious question to ask a bishop during an interview at his home on the eve of the General Synod.

I have interviewed several bishops, even an archbishop, before. But this one was different. The interview, with the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer, was being carried out by three primary schoolchildren for a newsletter I produce for our village school. And their approach, and prepared list of questions, was certainly refreshing.

I was only there as official note-taker but managed to persuade them not to engage the Bishop in the great playground debate about Cinnamon versus Golden Graham breakfast cereals. (They asked: "What's your favourite food?" instead). We also thought it best not to ask: "Where do you want to be buried and why?" Otherwise, they were on their own. And they could have taught Jeremy Paxman and Jon Snow a thing or two.

As well as asking the Bishop where he stood on Charles and Camilla getting married (a good thing, although a civil wedding and Church blessing was proper) and whether there should be women bishops (an emphatic yes), they also found out which football team he supported (Sheffield United), his favourite programme on TV (Judge John Deed) and what he would do if he won £10m on the lottery (give most of it away and buy a house for his retirement).

One of the boys was probably wise not to ask the question suggested by his six-year-old brother: "Do you believe in God?" Instead, he intelligently inquired: "When bad things like the tsunami happen, does it make you question your faith in God?" (no).

They ended with an unexpected scoop as the red-faced Bishop, questioned about what he got his wife for Valentine's Day, confessed he had eaten some of the chocolate heart he bought for her.

Then they ran off, with the kindly Bishop's blessing, full of excitement, to climb the huge tree in the middle of his garden. Just think how much more entertaining our election coverage could be if schoolchildren, rather than the usual political journalists, did the interviewing. Who knows, we might even find out where Blair, Howard and Kennedy stand on the great Cinnamon versus Golden Grahams debate.

PART of the A59 near us has just been named the most dangerous road in Britain. The European Road Assessment Programme said: "Innocuous-looking roads often turn out to be persistent killers." You would think bad drivers didn't have anything to do with it.

THE Government is fighting a losing battle trying to improve children's diets by putting more healthy choices on school menus. The only way to get children to eat something healthy is to make sure there are no junk food alternatives. As long as there are chips, pizza and burgers being served up every day in our school canteens, there is little hope.

IT'S now considered sexy to be a housewife, thanks to the cult TV series Desperate Housewives. Yet when I first gave up work to have babies, I used to lie and say I was still a "journalist" on car insurance forms, even though cover cost more, because I couldn't bear to tick the box that said "housewife".