You lovely people. Thank you very much indeed to so many of you who took the trouble - and still are - to complete the reader survey form published last week.

We have quite a way to go yet before the results are fully analysed, conclusions drawn and any recommendations made.

But at this early stage we have been made to sit up and take note of some of your comments. Obviously I cannot go into details, but some of your suggestions are already being written into our future strategy.

Before I go any further I must apologise to the sporting fraternity. For some unknown reason the sport of cricket was missing from the list.

I have been feeling the verbal slaps of leather and willow around my head for most of the week.

Some of you have even included letters expressing deeper views and given reasons for suggested changes for the future.

Thankfully I have not picked up any messages about fears of downmarket standards if a decision is made to switch to the smaller tabloid size.

My greatest task, whatever the outcome, is to preserve the character of the Keighley News and the Keighley News Midweek.

On a final note, while all the preparations are being made for the future and our major developments in the press hall draw closer to coming on stream, I must say a great big thank you to our newsagents. They are getting up at all hours to make sure the papers are delivered. Myself and the rest of the team are so very grateful to you all for bearing with us.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.