In these electorally divisive times, how good to see a small version of the Lib-Lab pact reaching across the partisan divide that is the Lytchett Matravers ward of Purbeck district council in Dorset, where the Liberal Democrat candidate Alexandra Brenton has signed the nomination papers of her Labour opponent James Selby Bennett. They're long-standing friends, explains her agent Mike Brooke. "We don't have an issue with it. In rural communities, people are friends across party." One who does have an issue is Tory councillor Nick King in faraway Bournemouth. "It's a break from tradition," he says, presumably not having heard David Cameron's emollient interview with John Humphrys on yesterday's Today programme. No one seems to have asked Brenton's fellow Lib Dem candidate Martyn Colvey why she didn't sign his papers though.

Flexing a diamond-studded whip in a suggestively domineering manner, Zara Phillips, the Queen's equestrian granddaughter, who is 12th in line to the throne, has been unburdening herself to GQ about her enthusiasms, including rugby international Mike Tindall. "I did try to get Mike on a horse at the beginning of our relationship but he was obviously trying to get some," she confided, mysteriously. "He was trying to impress me then and now he's given up." She added that she was too selfish to have children yet: "Anyway, I've got 11 horses and Mike."

In what may be the yuckiest news of the year, comes the revelation that Olivia Newton-John has rescued a one-day-old kitten on the Great Wall of China while taking part in a charity walk to raise money for cancer research. She is getting up every two hours at night to feed it. Hasn't that brightened your day?

The Rt Rev Carl Cooper, Bishop of St Davids, resigned yesterday, three months after the announcement that he was separating from his wife, Joy, prompted a campaign by some clergy for an investigation into his relationship with his communications officer, the Rev Mandy Williams-Potter. Both denied impropriety, but the bishop has apologised for any actions that have caused offence.