Today marks the beginning of my last week as a full time journalist.

Due to Nub News making changes with certain pages, my role as Regional Editor (Suffolk) was going to be cut with both the Hadleigh and Felixstowe Nub News websites being mothballed.

Although the opportunity to carry on running Shotley peninsula Nub News on a part-time basis was offered, I have decided to accept the package on offer and call time on my 30-year career in journalism. (More about that in another feature to come)

I'm immensely proud and pleased with what we have achieved since Nub News took over from Shotley Peninsula News and Features in February 2020.

In the four years since, more than 350,000 unique users (different people) have read Peninsula Nub News providing more than 2.5million engagements. We are the go-to online news platform, number one in search engines according to Google Analytics.

We use social media to spread the word and know more people come to us for news about the Shotley peninsula than any other news organisation, including the EADT, Suffolk News, Ipswich Star, and the BBC.

Our readership penetration for the Shotley peninsula reaches more than 120% month by month, and we have been superbly supported by our wide range of sponsors and advertisers.

I would like to thank a whole range of people, from those sponsors, my army of contacts, contributors, a multitude of press officers, football club managers, but most of all - you - the readers for making Shotley Peninsula Nub News the success it has been.

Who knows what the future holds but as a wise man told me recently:

"You may leave journalism - but journalism never leaves you..."

To be clear, my retirement from Nub News in no way affects my commitment as a Babergh councillor and I will remain representing Ganges ward for the next three years, and will continue serving on the Babergh District Council Cabinet for the foreseeable future.