By John FortgangWelcome to the last Newsletter for 2006. As mentioned in the previous edition this is in fact a special anniversary, the fiftieth Newsletter since it was born in February 2002. So, as a free pull-out supplement you will find extracts from the previous forty-nine, which we hope will bring back some memories. Choosing them has been an interesting exercise; Viv will say more about the history of The Newsletter next time, but it is so encouraging now that the editorial board does not have to write all the articles themselves. The selection is of necessity a personal and subjective one but Viv and I hope you will enjoy reading again the work of Sod-buster, cower at mention of the Black Panther, ogle at the picture of two beauties from Lee Common School, and admire the abilities of D I Carnaby. Perhaps it will encourage all those readers who know they have an article in them to put pen to paper – or fingers to keyboards.
In this issue we have a contribution from Gill Harding of the Directorate of Waste Services for C.D.C. which will be of interest. Justin Lewis provides us with tales of further adventures in the Lewis household.
For the February issue (no January edition, remember, to enable your editors to recover from the sort of Christmas they hope to have) we shall have a guest editor. Gilbert Nockles won the opportunity of a lifetime, to edit The Newsletter for one month, at the silent auction a few months ago. There is absolutely no truth in the rumour that it was in fact his wife who really won but that she threatened to leave him unless he did it instead. All articles etc. to either Viv or me in the first instance please.
David and Penny Burgess and family have asked us to print a letter which happily indicates that David is on the mend and I know we all wish him a speedy and complete recovery.