Freeman: the Revd Joan Donkin, a Lutheran priest in the Church
of Sweden, was sworn in as a freeman of the City of Durham on
Monday. Ms Donkin was born in Durham, and followed in the footsteps
of her 94-year-old father, Norman, when she was installed as a
member of the 400-year-old joiners' guild. Her father is one of
only eight gentleman freemen. The rules to allow women to enter the
700-year-old guilds were changed only a year ago. Ms Donkin began
work as an arts and worship adviser to a Swedish bishop in 1980.
She was later ordained, and for the past ten years has served as a
parish priest outside Stockholm. "I went initially for three years,
and 33 years later I am still there"