Dear reader,

So the days are now very short and dark indeed.

If you are a daylight lover like me, the changing of the clock back an hour is hardly the high point of the year.

But there was cheer this week over the extension of the £100 High Street scheme into December (and controversy too)
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/business/high-street-voucher-deadline-to-spend-ps100-card-extended-3442523

That story was on our front page and big on our website, but another story got even more attention online - that the Orange Order is planning a large parade to celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland, like the 2012 one (heading this time into Belfast from Stormont).
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/date-is-set-for-massive-orange-centenary-parade-in-northern-ireland-akin-to-2012s-vast-ulster-covenant-march-3442673

This week we celebrated a witty and still read News Letter columnist, one of the big names from the near 300 year history of the world's oldest daily paper, Bud Bossence, who died 50 years ago. See a video clip of the event here:
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/people/top-news-letter-columnist-bud-bossence-is-remembered-by-enthusiasts-of-his-writing-50-years-after-he-died-3444713

In Farming Life this week an agricultural calendar has been dedicated to the memory of Harry Steele, 8, who lost his life in a car accident in August. The calendar will raise funds for Air Ambulance NI.

https://www.farminglife.com/country-and-farming/fundraising-calendar-dedicated-to-memory-of-shining-star-harry-steele-aged-8-3445504

And a Co Antrim young farmer has just launched her new range of clothing which helps promote the issue of mental health within the rural community.

https://www.farminglife.com/country-and-farming/from-beef-to-dairy-ruth-grows-in-confidence-as-she-tries-something-new-3447246

In sport, rugby's Ireland great Paul O’Connell likens Johnny Sexton to Roy Keane
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/ireland-great-paul-oconnell-likens-johnny-sexton-to-roy-keane-3447230

And in football, four goals and five assists by Conor McKendry marked a dream start to life in Coleraine
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/football/northern-ireland/outstanding-conor-mckendry-is-loving-life-at-coleraine-says-oran-kearney-3447301

As the week drew to an end we led the paper with a poll that showed two thirds of people in NI who have decided their position on a border poll would vote for the UK. I write more about some of the detail of that poll, much of which seemed bad for unionists but is in fact good, in my column today here:
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/ben-lowry-a-poll-that-finds-support-for-the-uk-the-dup-and-scrapping-protocol-checks-not-something-you-hear-reported-very-often-3447785

And among our other columnists, today Henry McDonald writes about Catholics, including his own relatives, who fought for Britain in the Great War.
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/henry-mcdonald-my-familys-roots-that-bind-us-to-ypres-and-the-somme-3447784

Our bumper weekend News Letter is filled with a range of other stories, including an interview with Mary Berry. But the week has ended on a tragic note - the road death of a curate's wife, Aurelia Kelly near Ballymoney.