First of all to my colleagues for putting up with me, especially those who've been with me since I joined in the dark days when we still had typewriters which could drown out Alan Crumpton's voice if we tapped hard enough!

My thanks and admiration go especially to the people who have inspired me.

People who have fought disease or disability, or who have lost a loved one, always helped me put things into perspective.

Sitting down with a mother who has lost a child is the most awful thing in the world to do, yet they found the courage to talk to me, a complete stranger, about that loss. And I am proud to count some of them among my friends because of that first meeting between us.

I've met people who have done everything they can to help others, even giving up their Christmas Day to make sure lonely people had a cooked dinner and company.

Charity workers around here don't know when to stop. They work tirelessly to raise money for their causes, be it collecting food for animals, providing emergency shelter for those around the world affected by disasters or looking to comfort those faced with terminal illness.

They all do their bit and I have learned an enormous amount from listening to them talk about their charities.

Highlights are hard to pick out but the thrill of watching our Sudbury football teams flourish is hard to beat. The trip to Wembley back in the days of Sudbury Town (and I still have the scarf) will never be forgotten.

I've watched councillors come and go; some have left impressions, some have not, they've all bickered but, ever the optimist, I think they believe what they are doing is right for the people they represent.

The children in our schools have given me hours of entertainment, honest and often hilarious answers to my questions as we have sat on the library floor or tucked into a hearty school dinner.

And so I say goodbye. I'll still be around, I'm not moving the family home, I can't leave Sudbury. It is a great place and I am proud to call it home.