OUR news editor’s a miserable so-and-so.

When he’s not ranting and raving about over-officious press officers (his pet hate), the newsroom is often treated to moans about his various ailments.

This week we’ve endured lengthy diatribes about his dodgy knee, back, shoulder and ankle.

No doubt next week he’ll have injured something else.

True, Dave’s no spring chicken (he won’t appreciate me saying that, mind), but surely he’s getting all these aches and pains a little prematurely?

Well, it turns out he’s been getting up at the crack of dawn every day to go running, swimming, press-up-ing, and so forth – all things I gave a long time ago.

Madness if you ask me.

But as regular readers will know, he’s going to be part of a team trekking to Everest Base Camp in November in aid of the Isabel Hospice.

While we in the WHT office look forward to the peace and quiet, we’d love it if it was all worthwhile.

For details about the challenge, which will see 17 people endure long days marching up the side of mountains, go to www.teambasecamp.co.uk/isabel-hospice

And to sponsor our news editor, and maybe help shut him up a bit, you can log on to http://www.justgiving.com/ Dave-Burke1 or text WHTD81 and the amount you want to sponsor to 70070.