It’s not often I get to sit down and write my own letter, so please bear with me on this one. After nearly five years at Tindle Newspapers Ltd., I am saying goodbye to this chapter of my life.

When our previous Editor, the brilliant Becky Brooks, took a chance on me before the pandemic, I was fresh out of university and looking to experience the wonders of the newsroom. You all, along with my wonderful colleagues, welcomed me with open arms and words of encouragement - something I very much needed back then. Working through the pandemic and coming to terms with our ‘new normal’ was quite an adjustment for myself and our incredible team, but we had the support and encouragement from our lovely readers to keep us going.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of you, our loyal contributors, customers, and supporters. Your unwavering support has meant the world to our team. Through the ups and downs, your belief in our work has kept us going. Your dedication to our community and the stories we’ve shared have been the heart and soul of this publication, and I know it will continue to thrive in my absence with the continued help from yourselves.

Despite being a small team, Sarah, Claudia, Donna, and myself have worked tirelessly to bring you your news, week in and week out. From burning the midnight oil to meet deadlines to navigating through changes within the company, the dedication and hard work shown by my colleagues have been nothing short of inspiring, and I’m incredibly proud and grateful for all that we’ve accomplished as a team. I could not have wished to work with more committed and talented individuals and have found friends for life in doing so.

Now, onto the next adventure! I’m excited to share that I’ll be moving on to explore new opportunities within the Third Sector. It’s a bittersweet transition, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the newsroom, but I’m eager to embrace this new challenge and make a difference in a different way. Although a lot is changing over the next few months, I have been assured that the new Regional Digital Editor for Somerset is brilliant and will step in to help The Journal while my position is filled.

So, thank you. I have always been proud to work within such a tight-knit and caring community, and I want to genuinely thank each and every one of you for your contributions, tales, and weekly catch-ups. Your spritely phone calls and visits to the office have kept me going when deadlines have felt overwhelming.

Keep up the good work on Dave’s Quiz and the Mystery Photographs; hearing your memories of time gone by has been one of my favourite parts of this job.