IT WAS in 1977, while a student at Queen Elizabeth’s School, that my Economics teacher, Dr Raymond Skinner, suggested I undertake some work experience with Sue Read at the Crediton Country Courier.

I gladly went along, one day-a-week, learning how the newspaper was produced, wrote my first stories, looked after the office and answered the telephone.

Little did I know that it was, in fact, Dr Skinner who played an instrumental part in the “birth” of the Courier in December 1974 and who, I now realise, was directing me towards a career in journalism with Crediton’s newspaper.

?I completed my schooling and worked at home on the family farm for a year or so, all the time submitting interesting stories which proved suitable for publication.

I asked Sue Read if she could make my work for the paper more structured and she offered me a part-time job as a reporter/photographer. I accepted.

Later, while working at the Courier, I also worked part-time for five years (for 18.5 hours per week) for Devon County Council for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and Devon Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, first in Exeter, later at Moretonhampstead.

When this was restructured, I was grateful to Sue for allowing me to return to the paper on a full-time basis. ?Much has changed with the paper over the years - not just going from monthly to fortnightly and to a weekly publication, but now being digital led, which means stories often appear on the Courier website (www.creditoncourier.co.uk ) but also on social media sites Facebook (Facebook.com/creditoncouriernewspaper ) and Twitter @CreditonCourier .

Technology advances have helped dramatically.

A joy of the job is meeting some terrific people and seeing all aspects of life.

It is often a flurry of meetings (now zoom, of course), functions, appointments, visits, telephone calls, emails, photographic assignments and very long hours spent behind a computer - and I would not wish for it to be any other way. ?The paper has grown, as has our circulation area, from Exeter to Okehampton, from Tiverton to Chulmleigh, and beyond.

Digital weekly versions are read around the world and as has been said before, more than 50 people receive the Crediton Talking News, recorded by volunteers from news stories in the Courier.

Stories are also viewed by thousands of people on the Courier social media sites.?

Sue sold the Courier to the Tindle Newspaper Group in 2004 and I took up the role of Editorial Manager.

Sue has been able to ease up on the workload but still plays an integral part.?

We are both pleased the Courier has grown and moved forward in circulation and influence and who would believe that the current issue is our 1,300th.

I believe local newspapers are an important part of any community and that making use of in-depth local knowledge, enables us to uncover stories that need to be told.

Journalists from local newspapers don’t just write about the community, they live, work and interact locally and foster a relationship of trust between the newspaper, its readers and advertisers and this often leads to exclusive stories.

Local reporters care about local communities and understand them. ?Another important function of many local newspapers is to bring local issues to the fore – helping individuals or groups, challenging authorities when necessary and working for change.

I think the Courier does this well and there have been many instances that spring to mind.

I have photographed royalty on many occasions, plus Prime Ministers and other dignitaries, but also importantly, local people, through good and bad times, and now having been in the job for so many years, children of the children I photographed way back in time!

The value of correspondents who supply stories and photographs is essential and nowadays, nearly every reader is also a correspondent, many sending in images or stories from their communities when they see them.

Tindle Newspapers is a family-owned business which is dedicated to supporting communities through their local newspapers.

This is something Crediton should consider fortunate, because many other newspaper companies have closed local newspapers, resulting in a great loss to their local towns and communities.

Thankfully the Courier is in a strong position and we now look forward to the future - onwards and upwards!