FIRST, there was the North Yorkshire vicar who put a note up in church asking for "paper money only" because he didn't want to waste any more time counting coppers.

Now the Bishop of Ripon has upset an ailing 99-year-old widow after writing a letter asking if she would leave something - "antique jewellery, oil paintings or even a Victorian sideboard" - to the Cathedral in her will.

Her family are rightly upset, but the Church is no different to the hundreds of other charities and worthy causes trying to get their hands on our cash in this highly competitive market of "giving", which generates millions of pounds every year.

From the shock tactics used in increasingly offensive adverts, to being pestered on the phone at home in the evening and receiving "free gifts" through the post, which put added pressure on us to contribute more, often asking for a minimum of £5, most charities go for the hard sell now.

Sadly, the worthiest causes are not always the ones that benefit. If more of us refused to respond to this subtle bullying it would, inevitably, have to stop. In the meantime, the Church could be setting a better example.

The Bible may say it is better to give than to receive. But I don't remember coming across anything about badgering frail old people for their family heirlooms.

FOR decades, children have enjoyed splashing about in the open-air paddling pool in the centre of our town. Now, fearing possible compensation claims in the event of accidents, the council is closing it. So how many children will now be heading for the river on the next hot day of the holidays? They won't be half as safe as at the paddling pool, but at least the council won't be responsible.

OUR latest parish newsletter contains letters from the headteachers of each of the area's three village schools, mentioning special assemblies for those pupils leaving this year. One refers to the Leaver's Service, another to the Leavers Service, and the third, thankfully, to Leavers' Service. One of my children gets notes from his teacher telling him to "practice", rather than "practise", at home. And a friend was appalled to receive a note from a student teacher informing her that her son "use's context clue's". Is it any wonder children find the rules of grammar so confusing?

A NEW instant sun-tan pill promises a bronze glow without the risk of sun-burn, and none of the patchy smears you get with fake creams. But there are so many orange people walking about all year round now pale skin has started to look appealing. I'm old enough to remember Des O'Connor, Dale Winton, David Dickinson and Robert Kilroy-Silk when they were white. It's horrifying to think that, to many children, they look perfectly normal.

A NEW satellite tagging device, the Wherify Watch, gives parents the ability to track their children 24 hours a day. This may sound terribly old-fashioned, but if you think your children are too young or inexperienced to be on their own, shouldn't you, or another adult, be supervising them, if only from a distance? And if they're sensible enough to go it alone, the last thing they need is anxious, overzealous parents prying on them from afar.