Letter from the editor: A cross word

OK, I have had a cross word with our crossword people, and also with the sports desk, after two serious omissions from yesterday’s issue of i caused a good deal of consternation among our readership.

First, our sports pages failed to carry the results and table from football’s Championship, and this mistake was compounded by the non-appearance of our famous, and popular, five-clue crossword. If you are both, say, a Nottingham Forest fan and a crossword devotee, I can offer only sincere apologies. It was, in the vernacular you like best: A male chicken at university? You must be mistaken (4-2). I can assure you these problems will not recur: I know how seriously you take your diversions (and I’m not talking about the M1 again). Today’s puzzle is on page 11 - and, no, Maureen, we’re not giving in to your text request and making today’s a 10-clue version!

A lot of people seemed to be in a bad mood yesterday. I don’t know why, given that April is virtually a month off for everyone, the weather’s good, and the AV referendum is just round the corner (only joking). John Edwards of Old Sodbury asks why I have to depend on free tickets to go and see Manchester City. “Obviously you are a fair-weather supporter happy to be seen when things are going well,” he writes. If you were only interested in success, Mr Edwards, I can assure you that you wouldn’t choose Manchester City. Old Sodbury? Quite appropriate when you think about it.

Sarah Smizz, among many others, took exception to Mary Ann Sieghart’s piece on the betrayal of the middle classes; readers are still complaining about Johann Hari’s denunciation of the Royal Family; and Dave Wisdom rails against a sub-editor’s dyscalculia (look it up! I had to). What’s wrong with you all? It was left to Jan Stafford to cheer us up with her suggestion that neatly connects two current news stories. Why not hold a Royal Wedding street party on the M1? That’s the spirit, Jan! Top idea!