Last month regular correspondent John Reynolds, of Eldon, County Durham. sent in his reflaections in Geordie about how a flurry of snow had sent the region into a panic.

It proved so popular, we've decided to give John an occasional Geordie slot. He'll be writing about anything and everything. In other words ... Worrever.

He starts this week with The Northern Echo's conversion to compact format.

Watcheor, hinny.

Wot di yi think? That Northin' necko's gone smaall. Ah divven't buy pyepers, me. Ah get's mine seckind hand off the fatha-in-laa.

But, yi knaa, ah niva liked big pyepers. Ah mind, when ah woz a young 'un an used ti try ti grapple wi' them geet big Sunda pyepers while ah was sittin' on the netty.

There was nae chance. Ah'd end up lyin' flat oot on the floor ti try ti eddicate mesel. An' it worked an' aall.

Ah reckin' ah'm aboot as illiterit as anybody ye can find. Mind, the' woz many a time ah got caad in the kite from lyin' on the netty floor.

Eeeh, an' if it woz daark ootside an' yi aanly had a candle in a jam jar ti see by, it woz aaful. Mebbe's yi'd hev ti stand on the seat ti be near the light if yi fund a gud bit wot yi wanted ti see proply. An' sumtimes, yi had the snow comin' in the top of the door.

Ah woz happy as owt when wi gorra hoose wirra netty on the inside.

Anyways ah was taalkin' ti wor lass a yair or so ago aboot them very days an' that ah thowt The Echo shud gaan small cos it wud make it a lot mair manigibuble. Speshly fo' them pooah buggas wot still has the midden ootside. The gud owld days, eh? The' was nae such thing!

Ta-ra.