It’s four weeks since The Westmorland Gazette went compact and the feedback is still coming in.

I love it when you, dear readers, get in touch but I’ve noticed you’re much more likely to when you’ve got something negative to say.

“I’m never buying the Gazette again” wrote one chap. “I cancelled my subscription the minute I saw the new look” said ‘disgusted of Milnthorpe’.

Personally I prefer our ‘easy to handle, impossible to put down’ paper - you can read it in the bath without covering it in bubbles and if you’re curled up in an armchair with it you don’t need arms five feet long to flick from section to section.

I suspect most of you like it better too - so why not say so?

I rang Kendal Fire Station one day last week and one of the nice ladies that answers the phone made my morning by telling me how much she loves the new look.

Later on, one of the councillors on my patch broke off from a rant about parking to offer his congratulations while an elderly correspondant who rang in with a tip-off remarked how her arthritic arms could manouevre the pages much better.

But it’s the pessimists among us who are prompted to put pen to paper, or to write on the web.

When my boss asked me if I’d like to write this column I told him how a friend on another paper, who also has a weekly slot, was often abused by commenters on the website where her words are published.

One day a disgruntled observer told her he hoped she’d get attacked by a dog. Another recommended she sort her hair out while one regular abuser simply wrote “why the wide face?”.

The fact that my boss replied that I wouldn’t get such a comment because I have a long face - “It really is long isn’t it” were among his actual words - is irrelevant. My point is that the public are always quick to be negative, but slow when it comes to dishing out compliments.

I’m just as bad myself. Once my favourite flavour of Muller Rice (apple strudel) was discontinued so I emailed Mr Muller to have a whinge (I know, I know - I should spend my time sorting out my hair or long face).

And when the goodies inside my box of Roses were covered in little white speckles, Cadburys replied to my note with a voucher and apology.

But I can’t recall ever writing to someone to sing their praises.

Once I got so fed up of the attitude of staff in a now closed Kendal shop, that I wrote to the head-office urging them to get their act together. But when a member of staff in Kendal’s Pizza Express was ridiculously helpful last week, did I pen a letter to their boss to congratulate them? No.

So, from today, I am turning over a new leaf. I’m going to swap at least one negative comment for a compliment each and every day. I urge you to do the same - and if you like the new Gazette, drop us a line to tell us so!