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News in brief

A school nativity scene with Mary, Joseph and the “baby Jesus” (a doll) became a one-parent family – temporarily – when a photographer from the North West Evening Mail turned up.
Joseph was photographed alone with the “baby” after Mary’s parents objected to her being pictured in the paper.


David Fordham, group publishing director of Iliffe News & Media, has joined the Newspaper Society’s Marketing Committee.
The committee steers the Society’s work in marketing the regional press industry to advertisers and agencies. It is chaired by Danny Cammiade, director of operations at Johnston Press Plc.


The Bucks Free Press is calling on its readers to back a plea to save inpatient maternity and children’s services at Wycombe Hospital.
They are being asked to fill in a cut-out protest form and send it into the paper, which has promised to pass them on to Health secretary John Reid.


Wales freelance reporter Fred Ross has died aged 77.
Originally from Merseyside, Fred worked at the Montgomeryshire Express, contributed to the Shropshire Star and other publications after going freelance in the 1960s. His clients included local and national papers, radio and TV.


The Evening Leader was so touched by a tale of a missing Santa that it stepped in to cheer up distraught nursery school children.
Their inflatable Santa had been stolen so the Evening Leader persuaded the local B&Q to sell them their display model – the last in Wrexham.


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