By Community Correspondent: Jamie MacEwan

I would like to take the opportunity to use this Editorial space to offer an apology. It is hard to count the number of months since we last managed to print a hard copy of this deserving publication. Not because it is too long ago to remember (although it is approaching that stage), but rather because it begins to feel ridiculous. I feel ridiculous.

On the game Animal Crossing on the Nintendo DS, if you stop ‘visiting’ your town for a while your fellow inhabitants will remark upon the number of months you have been gone. It all makes you feel a little bit worse, a little guilty. You suddenly feel naked to their judgmental, time-counting glare. Just to compound the misery, your natural spaces will be full of unwelcome wild grasses which sprouted up while you were away. It feels like it is time to do a bit of weeding here.

That is why we have put together this Bumper Edition, including all the best articles of the last few months along with a good amount of extras, such as the Best of the Classified Ads and some wonderful teacher input. It really feels like the best issue we have ever done. Expect to see a diverse selection of news, views, reviews, sport and business affairs. The subjects covered are wide-ranging and disparate, confirming this paper as the variety counterweight to its repetitive sporting monolith counterpart. They include a secret castle discovered in someone’s house, the surprising popularity of Christmas in India and Bradley Pfeiffer’s top tips on dating success.

Much fuss has been made recently over Tiger Wood’s 15-minute apology speech regarding his rather extravagant sexual behaviour over the last few years. I personally managed to find 5 articles using the term ‘Mea Culpa’ in one paper. It basically means ‘my fault’ which is why I thought it an appropriate theme for this Ed. While some blame could be apportioned to the change-over in the editing team from last year, it still does not explain why it has taken so long for us to get going. Sometimes, you have just got to get things done – and we failed.

So we extend our apologies to our loyal readers who may just have forgotten us by now, to the journalists who put in the effort and deserve the fame and – last but not least – to Ms Cameron, whose patience and nerve have kept this rocky ship afloat and on course, wherever that may lead it. I hope you enjoy the issue.