And finally...
It's 47 years since former Falkirk Herald editor Ken Waddell offered me the opportunity to join the company that published Scotland's biggest-selling weekly newspaper.
I don't think either of us thought that almost five decades later I would still be doing the job we both loved – and for the last 11 years had the privilege to edit the paper that meant so much to us both.
But all good things must come to an end and a few months ago I took the decision that the time had come to retire and move on to new adventures.
Since making the decision to hand over the reins I've had plenty of time to reflect on a career which has given me so many opportunities, meeting some amazing people along the way.
As a proud Bairn I was always aware that the Falkirk Herald was the epitome of what a good local newspaper should be: it served its readers and communities by not only giving them a voice but also consistently holding those in authority to account when needed.
For the last 26 years it has been a privilege to be part of the team of journalists who delivered all the area's news to people - initially only in print but by 2026 in so many different formats. For the last 11 years I'm proud to have led those journalists as we navigated all the changes, while never faltering in our mission of telling the stories that affect our readers.
In almost three decades we have covered many developments in our area, including the opening of a new acute hospital at Larbert, The Falkirk Wheel, The Helix and Kelpies, and the changes to local and national government. But we have also had the opportunity to report on the many stories from our readers and that has probably been the biggest privilege when people allow us to tell their news, whether it be at the happiest or most tragic times in their lives.
On a personal level, highlights include revealing that a Falkirk couple were the UK's first cases of swine flu, discovering why an assistant chief constable with Central Scotland Police was put on gardening leave and covering how our communities coped with the pandemic.
However I'm more than happy to gloss over my one and only attempt at car reviewing – don't worry, it was only the second most expensive Jeep I rolled on a rough terrain driving course and they did manage to repair it...
But the best part of this job has always been meeting people, from all walks of life, and being allowed to tell their stories. For that I thank them.