Letter from the editor: 'Another paper to get out'

Mistakes, we’ve made a few, but then again you should see the ones that we catch before deadline.

So, yes, Neil Blower, we know really that New York city isn’t the capital of the United States (I should know, I lived there for five years. It’s not even the New York state capital).

And no, Mark Harrison, the use of the word “stick” was not a clever joke in the column about the “size zero” debate, it was a literal; one we noticed ahead of time, but failed to correct.

Gremlins, eh? I think my worst ever mistake was telling the front page readers of another paper to turn their clocks forward one brisk autumn morning. The chairman noticed. Being mature and responsible professionals we do what you’d expect when we make a mistake: hold our hands up, turn the air blue with choice expletives, and then seek a scapegoat – usually someone not in the office at the time.

Once they are in and we confront them, and they swear blind that it wasn’t them but the sub-editor who sits next to them who “isn’t in yet”, we mutter under our breaths “burn the witch”, and move on – there’s another paper to get out.

Scary Darren and the suits upstairs are waiting with all manner of threats and financial penalties if we are “not off” on time.

But, before we are deluged with ambulance chasing subs offering their services, I’d like to pay tribute to the incredibly hard-working subs already here at i Block H who produce both i and its sister paper The Independent in a complex and mostly well-oiled operation each night.

When we’re not cursing each other out we even – just occasionally, mind – have a bit of a laugh doing so.

See you, Monday.