Letter from the editor: 100 issues old today

Sam Roberts, with a six-word text, summed up the feelings of i readers up and down the country.

“Oooh I love a knees-up,” he wrote, requesting tickets for the party at the Serpentine Gallery we are throwing for our readers to celebrate the 100th issue of i, which, in case you’ve missed the street parties, the special postage stamps and the fly-past by the Red Arrows, is today. We thought we liked a party, but it seems you have an even keener interest in a blast of culture, fine conversation and a few glasses of a decent Chardonnay (not necessarily in that order, of course).

The first application for tickets to the do was timed at 2.55am yesterday — well done, Kelvin Fitzimmions, but you should really try counting sheep — and by just after 9am, the capacity of 200 had been reached. As the day progressed, it became clear that we had chosen the wrong venue — the nearby Royal Albert Hall would have been more appropriate.

By the end of the day we were over-subscribed by more than double. We were astonished by the response, and chuffed to the point of embarrassment by your kind words. So much so that we felt it only right that we should put on another party in London (date and venue to be decided) for those who, sadly, failed to make the cut for 13 April. We’re also planning a couple of events outside the capital, and we will announce them shortly.

So there it is: 100 issues old today, and there’s a gallery of our 100 covers on pages 26 and 27. Those of you who have been with us from the start will have seen the paper develop. We believe it’s a much, much better paper today than it was on day one, and it will continue to improve, responding to your comments and criticisms, while staying faithful to our ethos of producing a quality concise newspaper that reflects modern lifestyles. It’s been quite a journey. So here’s to the next 100!