Going to Portland is always a pleasure. The island looms large and inviting in the background as you drive down the hill into Weymouth. On this occasion, I went to add my farewells to a remarkable headteacher, Jo Luxon. She's taught at Sr George's Primary School for four decades and retires as its most distinguished and loved Head. I arrived to find the whole school gathered in the hall, with Christmas decorations everywhere. I was kindly shown a seat, from where I watched a very emotional goodbye from the children and teachers. Indeed, one teacher I spoke to told me Jo had taught her many years ago. I first met Jo in 2006 when she was the Deputy Head. It was a difficult time for the school which was being persuaded to academize. Jo and the team resisted valiantly, defending the school's ethos, which she and her fellow teachers nurtured. Time has proved them right and the school continues to flourish. Jo has earned the trust and love of her colleagues, which was on display in abundance. Some were in tears. The children; well, they are too young to truly realise how lucky they've been to have Jo as their Head, but one day they will. I stayed to the end, when I had a chance to talk to Jo privately in her office and to thank her myself for her dedication and professionalism. I wished her a happy retirement and headed to the Crematorium for the funeral of Cllr Tony Ferrari. Tony was a dear man and far too young to die. He died while out running, an activity he loved. The Crematorium was packed, to the extent many of us had to stand outside and listen to the Service through speakers. It was a touching Service, with some very moving tributes from his two daughters and son. His wife, Erica, bravely read a poignant poem. Life can be so cruel sometimes. Meanwhile, Mirror Group Newspapers lost the case brought against them by the Duke of Sussex. The Group issued an “unreserved apology” for any historical wrongdoing after the High Court ruled that the Duke had been the victim of phone hacking and awarded him £140,000 in damages. The war in Gaza took an unpleasant twist when the Israeli military mistakenly killed three hostages after they were mis-identified as a "threat". Terrorist activity in the Red Sea caused shipping company Maersk to pause operations after repeated attacks by rebels near Yemen. The grandmother and legal guardian of Alex Batty, the British boy who went missing six years ago, said she "can't wait to see him" when he returns to the UK. A bizarre story. And the police said there was "no evidence of third party involvement" in the case of missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord.