Happy days are here again..
I have fixed the mysql problem so we should not see those naughty mysql error message.. for a while atleast.
I have also taught the editor who works in the news room how to distinguish one colour from the next and now he is happily re-painting all news articles sucessively darker colours from white to a nice dark saddlebrown.
After 30 days he ceremoniously shoves them in the archive box for anyone who might be curious about old news.