THERE are two things I’d like to say this week - ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’.

Apologies first, for all the naughty things I’ve ever done.

What prompts me to say this is a friend’s six year-old daughter, who has just drawn a very pretty picture on the back of their neighbour’s BMW. With a stone.

“It wasn’t me,” protested little Abigail. “But you wrote your name too,” pointed out her mum.

The things we do as kids eh?

I once threw a stone at a man’s car as I walked past. I was only about ten and had nothing against the poor guy except that his son was annoying.

When he knocked on the door shortly afterwards to say he had been watching from his window and heard the sound of stone on metal, I was horrified. But like Abigail I denied all knowledge.

It could have been worse, as my friend Pete points out.

As a child he and a friend once tried to raise a bit of cash by washing cars. They wanted to make such a good job of their first customer’s prized Mercedes that they innocently scrubbed at the stranger’s paintwork with a scouring pad. When they realised the effects of their efforts they did a runner.

Pete still feels guilty to this day.

Among the other bad things I have done - and denied - was to blame the dog for dropping my grandad’s beloved silver-topped cane down a well.

Although it’s a bit late I’d now like to say sorry grandad and sorry Muffin.

Also, apologies to the shop in Lancaster from where I stole a pot of nail varnish in my teens.

Conscience clear, I will move on to saying thank you - to everyone who has taken the time to say it to me!

A couple of weeks back I had a bit of a moan about negativity and the fact people always put pen to paper to complain, but never to praise.

I don’t often admit to being wrong but you, dear readers, have put me in my place.

Norman and Ilene started the ball rolling by emailing in to say it was about time the Gazette had a revamp, borrowing a phrase from Jim Bowen to describe the new look as “super, smashing, great”.

Mrs Rodgers from Windermere made me smile with her lovely handwritten note which gave me some useful ideas for future columns.

Meanwhile Brian from Ulverston had me on that he was framing copies of this column and putting them on his garage wall!

Might I suggest Brian that you join our forums where, in my opinion, one of the most worthy threads was created last week.

I’ll say no more on the matter except cheers!