Carol Ann Duffy has been named Britain’s new Poet Laureate and she’s the first woman to hold the position in the 341-year history of this rather odd job.

Duffy willl earn £5,750 a year but the poet says she’ll give it away….after all it is chump change. £5,750 is £250 less than I earned in my first year as a journalist in 1990. It was a great year in my life but I used to visit supermarkets in the 30 minutes before closing so I could scavenge for discounted food. I remember once having no money at the end of the month and finding a frozen chop in the freezer that was one year old – it tasted OK.

Duffy’s new job also pays about 600 bottles of sherry.