Over at budget games specialist Mastertronic, rehearsals for the company Christmas pantomime are underway. Our picture highlights a surprise guest appearance by Nick Alexander, Guild of Software Houses supremo, as an Ugly Sister. True to its thrifty image, Mastertronic is using only one Ugly Sister to keep production costs down.

Probably because you realise that postmen are overworked at this time of year, you thoughtfully didn't send micro Christmas Carols in by the hundred after our suggestion two weeks ago.

In fact, only Kevin Millyard responded, so we send particularly warm Season's Greetings to him and tepid ones to the rest of you, with a vote of thanks from the Post Office workers.

Here, to the tune of The First Noel, is a sample of his work. It should be sung up and down the country, preferably in the privacy of a bathroom.

Your new QL
Sir Clive did say
will be with you
by the twenty-eighth day
but that day came
and that day went
and still no micro Sinclair sent
QL, QL, QL, QL
Where oh where is my QL?

On that high note we'll sign off for the year. Happy Christmas. See you in 1985.

Here's something to turn your mind to when the National Anthem has finished at the end of the Queen's Speech. Princess Anne, agog at Microvitec's latest product, is clearly on the point of saying something memorable. What will it be? We invite you to send in suggestions to PCN at 62 Oxford Street, London W1A 2HG, and there will be £20 in it for the funniest. The winner will be announced in issue 95.

Next year? What is this next year? In response to the staff's cries of "Give us a break, guv," the publishers of PCN have decreed that there will be no issue to distract you from the Boxing Day football programme on December 26. We'll be back on January 2, 1985 with...

Father Time
Age shall not wither it... the Sinclair defies time's winged chariot by still going strong. We take a retrospective look at this great survivor.

High Office
Database Software offers a Lotus equivalent on the BBC for just £5.95 - could it possibly not give you your money's worth?

BBC Among Apples
Kick off the new year with this fresh-fruit cocktail of a game for the BBC Micro.

Amstrad At The Double
Give your Amstrad a character building exercise with a utility to double their height.

Spectrum Break
Guard your Spectrum programs against those inconvenient interruptions with this anti-break device.

Penpal
Cast your eyes over a full pro-test of the Penman Plotter.