Editor's Blog

It's a small world

I recently took a short holiday with my family to try and get away from it all for a few days. As my son, Benjamin, was only six months old, the furthest we dared venture was the south of France.

We were booked in to a little gite just outside Aups, about an hour's drive from Aix en Provence, and it was a holiday my wife and I had been looking forward to for some time.

But it was quite a shock when we reached our holiday destination and introduced ourselves to our hosts. After a few opening pleasantries, it soon emerged that Colin Bingham-Wallis and his wife, Sandra, were originally from Great Dunmow.

Now they make a life for themselves renting out holiday homes across the south of France - and what a great job they do of it. It proved to be a fabulous holiday and it goes to show what a small world it really is.

Why not tell us your interesting stories from your summer holidays? Email me at letters@essexlifemag.co.uk

Meeting point

ONE OF the many perks of being editor of Essex Life magazine is the chance to meet characters from all walks of life. Everyone seems to have a fascinating story to tell, but I often hear some of the most interesting tales at our quarterly Essex Life Luncheons.

This relaxed networking event is a great way for members of the Essex Life team to touch base with representives from Essex-based buisnesses and organisations. Just chatting over lunch I heard how Feathers hair salons started from scratch working to its philosophy of having well-trained staff and offering customers the best beauty experience. Now there are five salons working under the Feathers brand across the county.

I also caught up with Jayne Taylor from Taylors Car Care Centre in Great Dunmow who shared her story of how the firm was started by her husband working as a single mechanic. Now the centre is an approved service centre for Land Rover and Jaguar.

These inspiring stories certainly make you realise what great people there are in Essex - helping to make it the great couty it is. I must also add a huge thank you to Mike and Maria Stone for kindly hosting the luncheon at The Three Tuns in Finchingfield. You can read their story of how they transformed this pub into a chic dining destination in June's Essex Life.

Editors get together with Essex Life

I am not sure what the collective noun for a group of editors is (perhaps it should be a splash of editors), but it was great to share last Thursday evening with around 40 editors of local parish magazines.

The group got together at the Feering offices of the RCCE for a Magazine Masterclass and it was a great opportunity to share ideas about how to make the county's parish magazines even better. Essex Life is the sponsor of the RCCE-run annual Community Magazine Awards, and as another way of supporting the devoted editors of our county's not-for-profit parish magazines, I offered a few of my thoughts on how to be a good editor and make the most of your magazine.

Fortunately, my thoughts were gratefully received and there was a really enthusiastic question and answer session which gave everyone the chance to air their views and learn something new - myself included. As we discussed, being an editor is not always easy, but what a valuable contribution all these editors make to their communities. The next time you see the editor of your parish magazine, perhaps you could spend a minute thanking them for their efforts - you might enjoy the look of shock on their face.

If you want to share your thoughts on Essex Life, good or bad, why not email letters@essexlifemag.co.uk?

Welcome to the Essex Life Blog

THE most exciting time in the life of an editor is always the day the product hits the shelves. For Essex Life that means each month I get to see the hard work of the whole team on sale in all the major supermarkets, newsagents, farm shops and hotels across the county.

Of course, what precedes the magazine going on sale are the hours of devotion and dedication to make Essex Life the very best it can possible be for our readers to enjoy.

We hope we always get that right and our loyal band of readers – a group that consistently continues to grow – shows that this is very often the case. However, here at Essex Life there is a constant drive to improve upon the high standards we have set ourselves.

To help us to do this, we are looking for your help. On June 26 from 7pm, Essex Life is holding its first ever Readers’ Forum. The meeting will be held in Feering and this is your opportunity to share your thoughts – good or bad – on Essex Life magazine.

Every opinion counts, so please do come along and share what you think of Essex Life. Tickets are free, but booking is essential.

To reserve your place, call 0208 504 0455 or email letters@essexlifemag.co.uk

I hope to see you there.

Julian Read

Editor

Essex Life