I write today’s column with an overwhelming sense of pride following the first 12 months of The Hawick Paper – a year that has seen our dedicated team work their socks off to produce what we firmly believe is the great paper that you, our readers, deserve.
You might remember I wrote in our launch paper in August 2016 that it had been an honour and a privilege for our team to put together the very first paper. Well, the very same applies to this day, and I’m sure everyone involved with the paper will agree wholeheartedly.
Right from that first edition, our overriding aim was to try and establish ourselves as a truly local paper that was able to connect with local people. To go back to the way things used to be in the world of newspapers, if you like.
And I think we’ve definitely made big strides in this regard over the past 12 months, but there’s still plenty of work to be done, that’s for sure.
Over the next year we’re determined to keep making those big strides to bring you the very best in local news, sport and features. And to do this we can call on a hugely talented team of journalists, who will continue to work on the ground in Hawick to cover the stories that impact on the lives of Teries.
Our news reporters – Hilary Mactaggart, Sarah Williamson and Graham Ford – all know their patch inside out, and have shown a tremendous zest for the paper. They’ve championed our values of trust and positivity at every turn, and fully deserve all the great feedback that comes their way.
Tasked with easily the hardest job when we started the paper was our advertising executive Catriona Young. After all, back then we were a new publication, had no track record, and might well have folded in a couple of months! Why on earth would local businesses advertise with us?
They did, though, and in huge numbers, and that is testament to Catriona’s vision and professionalism. She has been pivotal in establishing the paper as a sought-after platform for local businesses to promote themselves, and continues to build our advertising portfolio in the town.
The Hawick Paper – Friday 19 August 2016
Also among those who have become a real mainstay for the paper is John Slorance, who needs absolutely no introduction. A local journalistic legend, John embodies what The Hawick Paper is all about, with his passion for the town and its folk always evident.
Equally as passionate about all things Hawick is our proof reader, Jake Coltman, who as well as poring over every page, is also our gardening columnist, Wilton Lodge Park correspondent and picture puzzle compiler. Jake is meticulous in everything he does, and that’s just how it should be on a newspaper.
Phil Johnson is a name which appears on our sports pages every week, and although not from Hawick, Phil, who worked on The Scotsman sports desk for many years, takes huge pride in producing our sports section every week. He’s a tremendous asset to the paper and we hope he’s with us for many years to come.
Alastair Redpath is another name that has become synonymous with The Hawick Paper. Ali, the founder of the hugely successful Project Hawick Facebook page, manages our social media accounts, writes our nostalgia articles, and also does some page layout. He, too, is someone whose contribution we value greatly.
We’ve been fortunate to have the services of some brilliant photographers over the past year, with Lesley Fraser, our regular snapper, always going the extra mile to get the pictures we want.
Alistair Learmonth, Derick Thomson and Kenny Baillie have also contributed many photographs, and their flexibility, in particular, has helped no end.
As I’m sure most of you will know, it is very much a family business here at The Hawick Paper, with several close friends involved, too, and they all do a fantastic job behind the scenes to ensure the paper comes out every week.
There are, of course, many, many others who contribute to the paper in various ways, and on behalf of our team, I’d like to thank them all for their help which is greatly appreciated.
There is, however, one contribution which is the absolute lifeblood of The Hawick Paper, and that is the one made by yourselves every week when you buy your copy.
Last August, we asked you to stick with us, and you’ve certainly done that. In return, we said we’d give you a paper to be proud of – we hope we’ve also kept our side of the bargain.
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