THIS was Walk To School Week in Buckinghamshire's schools. Too early to know what the response has been, but traffic gurus at County Hall aim to make the idea last for the rest of the school year.

They are sending leaflets to parents, asking if they will carry on walking with their children and have been outside schools talking to parents about the benefits of walking to school.

It is a commendable idea, but pie-in-the-sky for many. The morning rush for school, mum and dad going to work, and that convenient car only yards from the door, are too much for most of us. No responsible parent would let a child walk alone, so driving is inevitable.

One answer, which County Hall says is out of the question because of cost plus problems with teachers having to supervise arrivals and departure, would be fleets of school buses taking children to and from school.

Another far more feasible answer is for parents to take turns at school runs. Maybe the poor commuter could get to work with fewer hold-ups by endless cars with a single child in each, and mums who park near schools with disregard for others, and stand with their car doors open, gossiping to friends.

WOULD you know who was known as the Lambeth Poisoner, what are the names of the cats in Lillian Braun Jackson's books, what does VICAP stand for, and the first name of Sgt Lewis in the Inspector Morse books?

Come to that, what was the first name of Gunner Hill, executed for the murder of two Bucks schoolgirls in 1941, the crime journalist hero of stories by E C Bentley, or the first name of the Monster of Dusseldof?

They are some of the teasers in a quiz and a crossword organised by the county libraries to celebrate the current Festival of Crime Writing. Prizes are £20 book tokens.

RUMOURS are rife at County Hall on who will be the future chairman of Education and Social Services. The Tory group's crucial meeting was this week, and all will be revealed this month.

Those in the know say nothing. Those not in the know look mysterious and tap their nose. The strictly honest, who haven't a clue, admit to hearing the rumours.

It would be astonishing if Peter Lawrence, in spite of his age, were to lose the Education chair. He left his part-time job last year to give more time to council. Mike Appleyard, who heads Social Services, has faced the storms over budget cuts with sympathy. It remains to be seen.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.