A history lesson to begin with and the caption beneath a photograph of pupils at Coombe Road School, Brighton.

They were reconstructing events surrounding the Second World War and the photo was published on Thursday last week.

The caption stated it showed a re-enactment of the moment Winston Churchill announced the war.

In fact, says Edward Goring, from Ovingdean, people who gathered round the wireless on the morning of September 3, 1939, heard the voice of then prime minister Neville Chamberlain.

As Trevor Cook, from Brighton, points out, Churchill did not become Premier until May 8, 1940. Thank you, gentlemen.

Next it's English language and our story on Monday last week about an apparent kidnap at Hove station, which stated the drama ended when police made the car driver "lay face-down in the road".

"LAY down?" exclaims L Kennedy, from Haywards Heath. "This sort of incorrect use of a common verb is often heard nowadays but from a journalist and supposedly writer of good English it is a disgrace.

"You can lay a tablecloth or a carpet and a hen may lay an egg. We lie, not lay, down, unless used as the past tense of the verb."

Quite right and after that I feel like a lie down.

Spelling now and our story about rock 'n' roll stars' contract riders on Thursday last week which spelt the South American country of Colombia as Columbia. That is, of course, the film company and US district where the capital is Washington.

A number of clarifications now. Sussex University wishes to point out Australian murder victim Peter Falconio was not one of its graduates, as we have stated several times, but Brighton University's.

In Monday's paper, we reported the victim of a crash in north Wales was Robert Lewis, from Lewes. In fact, he was Roger Lewis. My apologies to his family for the wrong name, which was supplied to us by North Wales Police and published in good faith.

A report on Tuesday last week stated a man was injured in an attack at the Connaught pub in Hove Street, Hove.

Landlord Bernard Akehurst says in fact it took place in nearby Vallance Road, although a row had started in the pub. Again, the information had been supplied by the police.

Now to another "Spicer" (courtesy of Gerald Spicer, from Portslade) and Monday's picture story about a charity event in aid of child burns victims which misspelled co-organiser Stephanie Garwood's name as Greenwood in the caption.

Mr Spicer also spotted in our story last Friday about former Women's Auxiliary Air Force member Avis Parsons a picture caption described her as "with her medals" when in fact the picture didn't show them.

And finally, my thanks to Maurice Packham, from Horsham, who points out our picture story on Wednesday last week about author Jacqueline Wilson ludicrously stated "...she has written more than 20 million children's books, selling more than seven million copies in the UK alone."

"What does she do in her spare time?" jokes Maurice, who also spotted a classified advertisement for a teak table which "extends to seat 608 people". He asks: "Do you get the chairs as well?"