This Editor’s Diary is full of mixed emotions.
You see, it was Fiction Editor Shirley’s very last week at work after 44 years at DC Thomson. What an incredible achievement! No-one could say she doesn’t deserve her retirement.
But . . . We’re going to miss her! We really are like a family here at the “Friend”. And when one of us leaves, it’s a bittersweet time.
We’re happy for the colleague moving on to exciting new adventures, of course. But we’re also sad that we’re not going to see them every day in future.
However, we were determined to give Shirley a fitting send-off after such an illustrious career!
Illustrations Editor Manon created the most amazing card, picturing Shirley as the cover star on her very own edition of the “Friend” Special.
Production Editor Judey wrote a hilarious short story about Shirley’s first day of retirement, again brilliantly illustrated by Manon. We framed that, ready for Shirley to hang on her wall.
A gift voucher for Shirley’s favourite jeweller’s, a book token and a bouquet of flowers completed the gifts.
Designers Jaclyn and Nicole decorated the office with bunting they’d made specially for the occasion.
Cake was essential, of course — two of them, in fact, to make sure no-one went hungry!
I managed to make a speech without tears. From me or from Shirley!
And then it was time for a celebration lunch in our favourite Italian restaurant before Shirley said her goodbyes.
She went home to put her feet up — and we went back to work. Which already seemed a much quieter place without her . . .
But it won’t stay that way for long.
Shirley’s departure provides a fantastic opportunity for a new person to join the fiction team. Watch out for more news on that soon.
For more from Angela’s Editor’s Diary, click the tag below.
Angela Gilchrist I am the former Editor-in-Chief of “The People’s Friend” magazine. My passions include cats, Highland ponies, good books, vegetarian food and long walks in the Scottish countryside. My favourite place to get away from it all is the magical Isle of Skye.
