When The Whistler was first published, over 40 years ago, the internet did not exist, and communication between local residents was over the garden wall, at the pub or the church or the local shops. These days, in addition to all of the above, people keep in touch in all sorts of digitally savvy ways – it’s non-stop, 24/7. But there’s nothing quite like reading a local rag, with articles written by residents of the local area, who want to share their stories, reminiscences, views, poems, gossip, outrage, expertise and humour.

We have all sorts of readers: those  who like receiving and reading The Whistler, but never write to tell us that they like it; those who don’t like receiving it and would rather it wasn’t delivered: please let us know if that’s the case and we’ll take you off the distribution list; those who like to share their views  through the Letters page: we  love receiving feedback  – positive or negative – as it reminds us there is an audience out there; those who write one-off offerings, like young Scarlett, whose poem is on the front page, or Robin’s piece on Open Houses, or the anonymous contributor on page 6:  we’d rather know authors’ names, but we understand people’s sensitivities at times. Finally, we love, and are eternally grateful to, those readers who send us one-off articles and then end up writing their own columns for years like David Foot, Peter Batten, Jim Gowans, Andrew Polmear.

Which one are you?