LONDON-based national newspapers aren't noted for sticking up for the North-East.

Indeed, those flash hacks who've never been north of Watford like nothing better than to have a cheap dig at us northerners, branding us all Geordies, getting their geography embarrassingly wrong, and suggesting we all keep whippets and wear flat caps.

But in an extraordinary outbreak of seasonal goodwill, The Times has waded in to defend the honour of Middlesbrough, the town branded the worst place in Britain by Channel 4.

Chelsea Football Club's website had mocked fans who'd got lost on their way to the Riverside for the Boro versus Arsenal match. In a snooty reference to the Teesside smog of the 1960s, the website said: "Everybody knows all you have to do is head up the A1 and then follow your nose."

The Times' Insider column was moved to respond: "We think you will find the air on Teesside refreshing these days, quite unlike that on the congested Fulham Road."

Well, well, well. Whatever next? The head of Channel 4 sending Middlesbrough mayor Ray Mallon a Christmas card?

TALKING of Christmas cards, I was a bit worried that Tony Blair might not bother this year. Without fail, he sent a card to his local paper every year during his time as Prime Minister and - call me sad - I've kept them all for old time's sake.

With Mr Blair no longer being PM, I wasn't expecting one this year, but it duly arrived, handwritten, on Tuesday.

Sadly, Gordon Brown hasn't sent a card. It's probably lost in the post along with those CDs.

SUPERBRAIN - The Northern Echo's marvellously comprehensive trivia quiz - is part of Christmas.

Like the giant Christmas crossword, which wasn't quite so giant this year on account of us going tabloid, the season doesn't really begin until Superbrain has been published with the paper.

It came out last Wednesday and the phones immediately went mad because Questions 49 and 50 in Current Affairs, and Question 50 in the North- East section had dropped off the page.

They had to be printed again the next day and I offer my humble apologies for any confusion caused.

At least it shows that Superbrain remains as popular as ever. We even had a call from one reader who explained how his whole family has a go at the quiz separately and then they gather on Boxing Day to compete for the "cold turkey"

prize.

The question is: Who gets the cold turkey, the winner or the loser?

THE trouble with news is that it never takes a day off. So tomorrow, as soon as the Christmas lunch is washed down with something distinctly non-alcoholic, it'll be straight back to the editor's chair for me.

I'll be joining an intrepid, hand-picked bunch of journalists who will be leaving their families behind and coming to work to spend much of their Christmas Day producing the Boxing Day edition.

My main task will be to decide what goes on the front page, think of something on which to write a thoughtful editorial comment and to fetch the mince pies.

As with every other day of the year, anything - or nothing - might happen. It might be a paper containing news of great importance, or it may not.

Whatever tomorrow brings, I hope it's good news all the way for you and your loved ones.

Merry Christmas.