"April is the cruellest month," said T. S. Eliot, but then he was taking the piss out of Chaucer, so he would. But it is renowned as a time of dodgy weather, as Shakespeare pointed out when he wrote of the "uncertain glory of an April day!"

The month takes its name, it is believed, from Aphrilis, the Roman Aphrodite. "Is that why," quoth editor Paul Colbert, "an 'April-gentleman' is a newly married man?" "Like our cartoonist Martin Rowson, you mean?" assistant editor Tony Bacon queries. "Does that mean he'll be spending April in Paris, like that famous 1932 song?" sniggered reviews ed Jon Lewin.

They debated getting the Making Music house band to play Pat Boone's big 1957 hit 'April Love' at the reception. "If they hold it outside," production assistant Carol Irving enjoined Scottishly, "you'd be better playing Al Jolson's big hit 'April Showers' from the musical "Bombo". Or even 'April Snow', from "Up In Central Park"."

Odd things go on in April, and we don't just mean April Fools' Day. The 5th f'rinstance, is the end of the tax year, and then on the 6th, Syd Barrett left Pink Floyd. Can this explain what went on two days later, though? Not only is the 7th the most widely accepted date for the crucifixion of Christ, it's also Billie Holiday's birthday, AND the day on which LSD was first synthesised. Weird? But what about St. George's Day, the 23rd? Not only was Shakespeare born on this day, but he died as well, along with a host of other literary figures, such as Cervantes, Vaughan, Wordsworth, and Rupert Brooke.

This April anniversary is also when we'd like to make clear the enormity of our gratitude to everyone who has helped us through the year, like all the contributors, messengers, illustrators, and photographers (hello, Grahame and Garth).

Then there's the advertisers and the Making Music dealers, without whom none of this would have been possible. And we mustn't forget you, the reader (creep slurp), without whom none of this would have been necessary.

Big sloppy wet thank yous to technical persons like Jeremy Buxton at Ambassador Press, Ron & Julian at Quillset, Caroline Grimshaw, Deborah Barker, and tall Richard Gittings.

You probably won't know people like Gwen Alexander, John Ward, Rob Castle, Alan Townsend, Max Kay, Mark Ray, Christine Kieffer, Andie Brooke-Mellor, Fred Friedlein (& Trevor), Dave Scott, Barry Race, John Smalls, Geoff Howorth, Claire Finch, Peter Lawson, Pete Tullett, Pete at S&T, Gavin Mortimer, Martin Brassell, and Sue Stanton, but they're the ones who loan us all the gear we sell off... er... review, and without whom... y'know. And anyone we've omitted.

There are some nice people doing press for popstars too, like Judy Totton & Co., Sam & Jan, Judy, Lisa, Barbara, Karen, Debbie, Derek, Ian & Karl at WEA, Richard Wootton, John Best, Dave Lewis, Anne-Louise Kelly, who've helped us get interviews.

Then there are our friends - John Peel (who did our radio ad), Pete Cornish, Julian Dawson for the German, M. King (again), Trevor Dann, Chris Lent, George Martin (honest), and Chris Heath. Good luck, and thanks for all the fish to Brian Harding, the three Roaring Persons, Reg Presley, Dave Stewart, Guitar Guru, even Billy Jenkins, Pino, Neil Murray, and Mark Brz...