A meeting was called at Manor Court... That included our three most regular editors.
One was into campaigning, another was a news hound and the third sought to perfect his page design and appearance. A well balanced combination. Hillam News used to be printed by villagers using their office photo copiers - Ask Gordon Little about that. Then Kay found a printer who was a former RAF technician from Akrotiri, Cyprus. The trouble was he didn't like officers and however hard I tried he regarded My neighbour Kay Jones was Hillam News me as one of them. He did at least give us nosecretary and I asked what was going to haptice when he sacked us. The print order had by pen now that Geoff had gone. She replied she then grown from 200 to 450. I shall miss my was looking for people who were computer printing sessions with Ian at South Milford literate, had local knowledge and lots of time. vestry. Even the tension of synchronising reThere was going to be a meeting in Manor sources, materials and machine. Court. I should go along. A lot of time at our meetings used to be It is not often that meetings where jobs are spent on selecting a subject for the front page. being handed out are so well attended. But The editor usually went off and did exactly there was a groundswell of support for Hillam what he liked. With the arrival of Facebook News and I came away as treasurer. The one we were able to measure reactions to our stomarketable skill I brought with me from the farm was book keeping. I could even call upon ries. Nothing, not even the discovery of a Neolithic axe head in a farmer's field, was experience as a former cricket league treasmore popular than Mel Charles going down urer. on one knee to propose or Nigel Adams reLater, at the instigation of Jenny Hoare I be- opening the Lumby Lane railway bridge. came chairman. I have enjoyed the leadership I and possibly others am ready to bow out. role but (and I learnt this too late) it is not a I would like to have quit while ahead. It may good idea to hold meetings in public bars. already be past 12 o'clock. Some question Before I came home to the family farm in whether a printed magazine is relevant any 1965 I worked as a journalist in London for more. Hillam News on Facebook will conthe now defunct Farmer and Stockbreeder tinue. magazine. When we were ordered by the National Union of Journalists to ban overtime we What will happen next? If history repeats itself, then expect a public meeting, possibly managed to get the magazine out in regular at Manor Court. I don't think it is time yet working hours! for Hillam News to disappear completely And until now Hillam News has always been into the virtual world of social media. out on time. The Manor Court gathering was in 2003 David Atkinson and many of the 2015 Hillam News surviOctober 2015 vors were at that meeting. I only met Geoff Hall once and I wasn't at his funeral in 2003. But I really took to his Hillam News when it first landed on my door mat and I've had the same delivery boy for all the time I've lived in the village.