For the last seven years I have been writing a column for the Eastern Daily Press, initially fortnightly but latterly every week. Any freelance columnist knows that at some point all good things come to an end, and for me that point was reached today. This morning I got a call from the EDP to relieve me of the column. OK, then, they sacked me!
I can’t pretend I am not sad about it, because I am, especially now that I am living in Norfolk (albeit part-time) again. However, there aren’t many columnists who last seven years on any newspaper, even when they come as cheaply as I do! The EDP is a great newspaper and is the biggest regional paper in the country. It’s been a privilege to be part of its coverage for so long, firstly when I was a candidate in Norfolk and latterly as a columnist,
Whenever this sort of thing happens you always look for a reason. I was told that “it was time to move on” and “it has run its course” and maybe they are right. Newspapers always need to refresh themselves and the EDP is no different. I would have liked to write a final column this week, merely to say thank you to those who have stuck with me for seven years but I was told that last week’s column was to be my last. Fair dos.
So can I through this medium thank all those who have read my words each week and especially to those who have taken the trouble to write or email me with their views and reaction? I am sure there will be some readers who rejoice that I have finally been culled too!
Anyway, thank you to the three editors, Peter Franzen, Pete Waters and Nigel Pickover who I have worked with. Peter Franzen gave me the column initially, Pete Waters was an inspirational editor and was a sad loss to the EDP when he left, and to Nigel Pickover who I fully expected to sack me when he took over 18 months or so ago, but he didn’t! He’s a human dynamo of energy and has given the newspaper a new vitality.
The end.
