Minimalist poet, minimalist lifestyle

Smokers are still puffing away happily in pubs in Stoke-on-Trent and will be for another three weeks.

Thanks to blundering council bosses it is the only place in Britain where you can still light up in pubs and clubs.

Officials failed to get enforcement powers approved in time for the July 1 ban and won't get them in place until the beginning of August.

Delighted smokers are puffing away in the city's 400 pubs without fear of an on-the-spot £50 fine.

At the Smithfield Bar customers are greeted with the sign "Welcome to Smoke-on-Trent".

Landlord Dax Robateau, who spent £21,000 on building an outside smoking area, said: "We were all ready for July 1.

"Now it seems that the only people who weren't ready were the council. I'm going to allow customers to carry on smoking until August."

The city's public health director Dr Giri Rajaratnam said: "We're certain most people and businesses will stick to the law."

The city council explained: "We don't have enforcement powers because Stoke has both a mayor and a council manager.

"We thought enforcement powers were delegated to the director of community services - but they weren't."

To do is to be - Socrates
To be is to do - Plato
Do be do be do - Sinatra

A Welshman flew halfway around the world for a friend's wedding - a year early.

Toronto-based teacher Dave Barclay jetted 3,500 miles across the Atlantic, reports the Daily Telegraph.

His mistake came after pal Dave Best, of Cardiff, sent him an email in which he mentioned he was getting married on July 6.

Mr Barclay said: "So I booked my ticket, paid £500 to fly into Cardiff, got the old suit cleaned, the goatee trimmed, the head shaved - I was going to be the belle of the ball.

"I called his mum to find his number and then I called him up and I said, 'When and where is this wedding? It's in a couple of days and I'd just like to know where I'm going'.

"He said to me, 'Mate it's not this year, it's next year. 2008 not 2007."'

Mr Barclay now feels more than a little embarrassed - but says he has at least provided some amusement for his friends.

"They're having a great time. They keep asking me the time, showing me today's newspaper, calling me the time traveller," he said.

"At least it has assured me a mention in the speech next year, I reckon. Same time next year - I'll be there."