Back bites

Dome disaster

Despite being empty and costing the taxpayer an estimated £7.4m in maintenance and security costs, the sad saga of the Millennium Dome staggers on. It now transpires that Robin Hewes, the new boss recruited to oversee the Dome's wind-down, is to get a £370,000 salary package. As for the doomed Dome's own future, the latest bid on the table is from pharmaceutical giant Wellcome Trust, which wants to use it as a scientific research centre. Perhaps its first project should be to make sense of the £1bn venture - where did it all go wrong?

Last orders

Chat show host Michael Parkinson has branched out into the leisure industry and bought a Berkshire pub. While day-to-day running of the Royal Oak in Paley Street near Maidenhead will be overseen by Parky's son Nicholas - who is a trained chef - it is his dad who has the final say over who is allowed to drink there, or who isn't. One of those who has already been pronounced persona non grata is none other than fellow BBC radio show presenter, Terry Wogan. The Irish DJ had the temerity to poke fun at Parky's latest business venture on the radio. Let that be a lesson to us all. Never laugh at a Yorkshire man - particularly when it relates to him parting with money.

Traffic stopper

Construction has begun on a footbridge that will enable guests at an American nudist resort to cross a busy street in California's Palm Springs. However, to prevent any potential peeping toms from getting a good view of strolling naturalists, the bridge will be built with 1.5m-high walls. Could be interesting if any 2m-high Amazonian women want to avail themselves of the footbridge...

Arching for a story

Fans of The Archers will be relieved to hear that a sustainability study carried out by the Wilcon Land Index concludes that the planned development by Borchester Land in Ambridge is environmentally unsound. Intended for a greenfield site, the Ambridge proposal might maximise profits but would not meet local residents' needs. Phew - one less tedious storyline.