Ah yes, the riveting week between the Christmas feast and New Year's hangover, when the local reporter is pushed to the outer reaches of his creativity in digging out non-stories and inventing letters to his very own editor. A week when at least half the quotes are attributed to those trusty old stalwarts 'A concerned resident' and 'A reliable informant'.

Not that we'd be caught dead making anything up.

'Be caught' being the operative verb.

We didn't have a bad one, actually, the local (alleged) genocidal maniac was finally arrested and put on trial facing extradition charges.

Great little tale for the front page.

My favourite snippet of the week, however, was of an old trooper who has defended his country in the army and who has never owed anybody a penny, but who finally decided to tell the government to stuff their council tax right up their seat of parliament.

The 77-year-old fox gladly burned his £93 bill for the camera, and when I thought the composition was not exactly right, he even offered to burn last month's one as well.

Seriously, where would this country be if not for old geezers with bees in their bonnets shaking their walking sticks at the young upstarts in government and demanding rights for all of us?

May they all still be around this time next year.