Happy days are here tomorrow, only in your Evening News

GET ready for some good news. And not just one story, but a whole paper filled with the positive goings-on in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Tomorrow will be Good News Day in the Evening News, when every story will have a positive angle.

The special edition is being designed to promote our city and make readers feel good about living in the Capital, and the paper is eagerly awaited by readers who have been contacting us to pass on their good news.

Evening News editor John McLellan said : "With the banks in free-fall, the pound plunging, house prices falling, jobs being slashed and angry unions taking it out on foreign workers, there is no shortage of bad news. While no-one wants to put their head in the sand I do think that we all need to rediscover some sense of optimism. For just one day we're guaranteeing to bring Evening News readers nothing but good news.

"The first Good News Day was a great success, but that was back in June 2007 when everything was still rosy. Now that times are tough I think people will appreciate a Good News Day even more.

"Obviously bad news is a staple of newspaper content, but good newspapers also make sure that their news pages are not unremittingly gloomy and this is another chance to emphasise that papers like the Evening News are as much about the positive aspects of life as the negative ones.

"No-one can accuse the Evening News of shying away from bad news, far from it, but if we can help cheer people up in these worrying times then it will have been worth it."

Aspiring model Rosanna Loy, 15, from North Berwick – who had her own good news six months ago when she joined the books of model agency Stolen – said: "It is a good idea, especially at the moment with the credit crunch. It would be good to read something a bit lighter."

Michelin-starred chef Paul Kitching, who is set to open his new Edinburgh restaurant 21212, also welcomed the initiative.

He said: "The good news edition is a great idea as everybody likes to hear good news. It lifts your spirits and can sometimes really make your day.

"People often remark on my positive attitude to life and you have to have one really, don't you? Spread a little happiness, that's what I say."

People worrying about the economic climate, banks or house prices can look forward to a day off from the gloom tomorrow.

David Marshall, a business analyst at the ESPC, said: "I think we would all welcome some good news. People are aware of everything that is going on in the economy but it is a matter of getting things into perspective, and anything that gives us something of a break I think will be welcomed by people in Edinburgh."

The first good news edition in June 2007 attracted attention across the globe, even featuring in the Bangkok Bugle in Thailand.

Meadows Marathon organiser Sally Hutchby, 21, from Bruntsfield, who recently received the good news that the event could go ahead in March, said: "A good news day sounds like an excellent idea."

Edinburgh South MSP Mike Pringle added: "Lots of people are looking for some good news at the moment. So often we seem to focus on negative stories and forget the positive."