As I have been passing on the news of my imminent departure to people this week I have had a few funny stares along the lines of the "are you totally mad?" sort.
It got me thinking about a story someone once told me about a shop in Sudbury just before the Second World War that made a point of not serving Essex people.
What is it about us that hail from the other side of the border?

I HAVE thoroughly enjoyed my 18 months here in Sudbury and have met some wonderful characters during that time.
I remember commenting in one of my first In My View columns about the friendly and trusting nature of just about everyone who lives here and that attitude still surprises me today.
It is what makes Sudbury special and I have interviewed a number of people who have come here and fallen in love with the area for that very reason.
I am sure I will return to the town on many occasions in the future and would like to think that spirit will remain the same.

OF course Sudbury is not just a sleepy town failing to keep pace with society. Far from it. During my short time here I have seen and reported on some major changes that have either happened or are in the pipeline.
My granddad lived in the Sudbury area up until some 50 years ago but when he comes back now he finds it hard to get his bearings. I am sure if I came back in just five years I would experience similar confusion.
The Chilton Woods development would be well underway, Belle Vue may have a health centre on it, the town could have been taken over by black squirrels. Who knows? It could be something even more far-fetched than black squirrels, the Civic Trust's bus station regeneration scheme may even have been completed.
I'm not holding my breath, but it would nice to be proved wrong.

THANK you to everyone who has made my time here so much fun. I wish everyone all the best in the future and who knows, I might be back one day.