Monkey would like to pay tribute to the night toilers who keep the wheels of medialand turning while us luckier souls are tucked up in bed. So here's some edited highlights from the farewell email by Guardian Unlimited night editor Neil Perry, who today completed his final shift after being a GU night owl since, oooh... about 1954. No more 4am blood sugar lows for you, Neil - enjoy the fjords:
"Number of nightshifts completed (approx): 1, 248
Number of nightshifts completed without own desk: 1,248
Nightshifts punctuated by uploaders fighting: 1
Number of times ambulance called on nightshift: 1 [unrelated to above]
Number of nightshifts cut short by sickness, having previously felt fine, but having eaten in canteen: 2
Number of desk drawers rifled during nightshift in search of bottle opener, chocolate, drugs etc: This has NEVER happened
Number of naked nightshifts completed: [censored]
Longest shift completed: 19 hours [September 11, 2001]
Millennia spanned during nightshift career: 2
Guest night report editors: Ellen MacArthur, Pete Doherty, Susan Sontag
Number of nightshifts disturbed by drunk GU staffers (you know who you are) strolling in around midnight on a Friday and offering 'advice', belching, giggling at nothing etc: 27"
