Surrey Life Editor's Blog

Back into the fray

Back to work today after a lovely, relaxing break over Christmas and New Year, which seemed to fly past all too quickly.

Still, it's nice to be getting back into the swing of things, especially as producing magazines when no-one is here is something of a challenge...

That's the thing with the festive break... It's all very well having some time off, but the deadline remains exactly the same so it just means fitting more work into less days.

As a result, it's actually something of a relief to be finally cracking on with the next issue.

One thing's for sure, we're not going to be short of news stories this month, what with all the Surrey-related New Year's honours that have been awarded (more on that later), but nothing again for Brucie. What a travesty!

I mean, I know he got the CBE and all that in 2006, but surely, after more than 50 years in showbiz, if anyone deserves a knighthood it's him?

Seriously considering launching a campaign actually...

Anyway, I digress... Better get back to that mountain of proofing that's sitting on my desk... Oh, and I nearly forgot, happy New Year!

Shhhhh....

Okay, so who's bright idea was it to hold the office Christmas party on a work night?

My head feels like it's full of cotton wool, I'm starting to vaguely hallucinate and I look like the living dead.

Still, it was a marvellous night out and particular highlights for me included:

1) The sensational mussels at the Spanish tapas bar in Reigate

2) Getting acquainted with the juke box at the Red Cross

3) Hitting JJ Whispers and discovering there was a £2 drinks promotion on (okay, on reflection, possibly one of the lowlights)

4) Drinking mugs of tea in my kitchen until some untold hour (in a moment of madness, agreed to let everyone stay at my house as I live closest to the office)...

5) Managing to get a photograph this morning of half the team emerging from their duvets looking like death warmed up

Needless to say, everyone is feeling a teensy bit fragile today, but in true Surrey Life spirit, we are all bravely soldiering on!

Today is actually our last official day in the office until January 2, so this will also be my last post until then.

So, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Christmas, a very Happy New Year and see you in 2009!

Hollandaise sauce

Well, three trips to Guildford, two to Dorking, two to Redhill and one to Reigate later, I think I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel - praise be to God and all his angels...

Still have two presents left to buy, but I think I should be able to get them locally, fingers crossed.

As for Christmas cards, though, I'm afraid they've had to bite the dust this year (well, okay, haven't actually managed to send any for three years, but don't tell anyone else that) ...

Anyway, if you've been kind enough to send me a card, please accept my sincere apologies for my lack of card to you, and may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Meanwhile, it's been even busier than usual here at Surrey Life, with a whole succession of lunch meetings (okay, so not too hard work...).

Had a great lunch at the Thai Terrace in Guildford on Friday (if you haven't been there, the views are spectacular) with House of Fraser's PR manager, Gemma Nearney.

We're looking forward to working on all sorts of exciting projects next year - not least another big fashion show, a rather exciting food event and some exclusive reader offers (more on that soon).

Then, today, staff writer Matt Williams and I were fortunate enough to have lunch with celeb chef and Surrey Life columnist Tony Tobin at his fantastic restaurant POST in Banstead.

We were also joined by his head of PR, Adrian Webb, and suffice to say a great time was had by all.

The food was sensational (the crab spaghettini is to die for), the atmosphere very festive and the company second to none - in fact, Tony had us in absolute stitches with his hilarious stories about Ready Steady Cook etc.

My favourite one, however, concerned something that happened to him this morning in Banstead.

Apparently, he and Adrian were taking the photos for the next column and they needed some hollandaise sauce.

So, for the sake of speed, Tony nipped over to M&S to buy a bottle, only to be greeted by some very accusatory stares from his fellow shoppers, who needless to say, were wondering if he bought all his food ready-made in M&S.

In the end, when the fifth person had peered into his trolley with a very disdainful look, he flung it aside in exasperation and exclaimed very loudly to all in earshot: "Look, it's for my column in Surrey Life, alright?"

Ha ha, brilliant!

Anyway, think I've rambled on for quite long enough now and, as it's our office Christmas party tonight (Reigate here we come!), I better crack on with some more bits and pieces.

I'll let you know how it all goes tomorrow - and if there's any juicy gossip to report - watch this space...

Bah humbug

Honestly, if I speak to one more person who says with a smug smile that they have completed their Christmas shopping, I swear I'm going to swing for them.

Here at Surrey Life, we've been somewhat under the kosh over the last few days, what with the annual carol concert to organise, getting the January edition safely off to the printers and now the small matter of completing the February issue in a grand total of two and a half weeks.

As a result, things like Christmas shopping have had to take a bit of a back seat - until now, that is, after last night I sat bolt upright at two o'clock in the morning and suddenly realised with sickening certainty that we only had about one week left to go.

Cue lots of frantic Internet ordering today, not to mention paying through the roof to guarantee next day delivery, and am still only half way there - grrrrrr....

The thing is, have my relatives arriving from my home county of Yorkshire this weekend, for the big annual present swap, so absolutely have to have theirs organised by then - yikes...

And as for the offfice Secret Santa, goodness knows what I'm going to do for that... I wonder how they'd feel about a subscription to the magazine... Hmm, perhaps not...

Anyway, suppose I better get off home to do some wrapping... bah humbug...

January highlights

Hurrah! Just got the January edition safely off to the printers and it's a real corker of an issue!

I won't go on too much, as I'm sure you're all immersed in preparations for Christmas, but here's a little taste of what's in store...

1) So what's Gordon Ramsay up to in Surrey?! We reveal why he's going to be spending a lot more time around these parts...

2) Michael Aspel talks frankly about life in the county, why he'll always have a soft spot for the Antiques Roadshow and which are his favourite pubs in the area...

3) Did you now that Spooks, Cranford and Top Gear are all filmed in Surrey? We also bring you the complete lowdown to the county's glittering on-screen history and the best places to look out for your favourite TV stars...

- and that's just the start!

The new magazine goes on sale from the end of the month (and, in the meantime, don't forget to pick up the December issue - on sale now - packed full with everything you need for your perfect Surrey Christmas!).

Right, sales pitch over! I'm sure you're all super-busy wrapping presents/planning the food shopping/drinking mulled wine etc, etc, so will leave you in peace for the timbeing.

Bureaucracy

I know I've been banging on quite a lot about work experience students lately, but I now have a new bugbear.

Namely, the sheer amount of admin that's involved in taking on a student.

No wonder our poor teachers feel so bogged down by paperwork... If I have to fill out a questionnaire covering two sides of A4, just because a student is joining us for five days, goodness only knows how many forms they have to fill in.

The sad thing is, there's a danger that prospective employers will be put off taking on work experience students altogether, when there's so much bureaucracy involved. I know I am...

Frankly, I've got far better things to be doing than answering questions like: "Will you abide by our diversity and equality policy". What do they expect me to say? No?

Anyway, enough ranting... We go to print on Monday so there's rather more pressing things to be doing than thinking about forms (and, indeed, writing about filling out forms...).

Thank you

Well, the carol concert turned out to be a resounding success, so a huge thank you to everyone involved and all of you who came along.

Because we're on deadline, don't really have too much time to go into detail, but suffice to say, it was a magical evening.

The service was wonderful (thank you so much to Max Clifford, Dame Jaccqueline Wilson and ladies barbershop choir Surrey Harmony as well as everyone else involved) and the party afterwards was great fun with mulled wine, mince pies and some truly fantastic raffle prizes.

I should also just say a massive thank you to our promotions team Steph and Sam for organising the whole thing so brilliantly.

We've yet to hear the final total but it looks like we have made an awful lot of money for the CHASE children's hospice in Guildford so we're all absolutely delighted.

Anyway, for the full report and loads of great pictures don't miss the next magazine (out on December 29).

Two hours to go!

Well, it's finally here ... after months in the planning, it's just two hours until the Surrey Life carol concert 2009!

As mentioned before, it will be a very special evening packed full with traditional carols - and as well as a performance by the award-winning ladies barbershop choir Surrey Harmony, we will also be joined by PR guru Max Clifford and children's author Dame Jacqueline Wilson who will both doing readings.

Getting a tad nervous about doing my own reading, I must admit, but thankfully I've been so busy with deadline week that I've barely had time to think about it.

Anyway, if you fancy coming along, there are still a few tickets left, which you can buy on the door, so hope to see you all there!

Hark the herald

Sorry, know I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front this week, but it's been a busy old time.

Because of the Christmas break, we have to get the February issue wrapped up in a grand total of two-and-a-half weeks - yikes - so, effectively, we're working on two issues at the same time.

If all that wasn't enough, staff writer Matt Williams is on holiday for a week, I've had a whole succession of meetings and it's also our annual Surrey Life Carol Concert next week so been busy helping out with the organisation for that - aaargh!

Anyway, the carol concert looks set to be a truly wonderful evening packed full with traditional carols - just the thing to get you in the Christmas spirit - so really hope you'll be able to join us.

We've got super-famous children's author Dame Jacqueline Wilson and Surrey Life columnist Max Clifford both doing readings (not to mention myself if you want a bit of a laugh) and, if all that wasn't enough, the award-winning ladies barbershop choir Surrey Harmony is joining us, too.

It all takes place next Wednesday (December 10) at Ewell Parish Church and will be followed by a VIP party at Ewell Castle School where we'll be indulging in a few mince pies and glasses of mulled wine. There will also be a fantastic raffle with some truly amazing prizes.

Every penny from the evening will go stratight to the CHASE children's hospice in Guildford so it's all in a good cause, too. To get your tickets, which cost £10 for the concert or £15 to include the VIP reception, just call CHASE on 01483 454213.

I look forward to seeing you there (hopefully doing a better job with my public speaking than at the recent Surrey Life Fashion Show!).

Anyway, in the meantime, it's back to the January and February issues - wish me luck...

What credit crunch...

Made a start on my Christmas shopping over the weekend and, I have to say, there was certainly no sign of any recession in Surrey.

Spent all day Saturday in Kingston (did the park & ride from Chessington, which is fantastic by the way) and then the whole of Sunday in Guildford.

Both places were absolutely heaving with shoppers, and they definitely weren't window shopping, either, judging by the long queues everywhere.

Fingers crossed it continues and that our local retailers have the cracking festive season they so badly need.

In other news, about to head out for a lunch meeting with the Council for the Protection of Rural England.

Taking care of Surrey's Green Belt is a cause that's particularly close to my heart so looking forward to hearing what they have to say.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Peter Andre and an electric kettle (yes, really..)

Just returned from a lovely holiday up in Yorkshire and am already well and truly back in the thick of things.

It's amazing how it all becomes a distant memory within about five minutes of walking back into the office, but all the same, it's good to have had a break.

I was also cheered on my return to discover how much reader feedback we've had while I was away.

The holy grail for all editors is a full postbag, lots of reader response on the e-mail and plenty of phone calls.

We don't even mind if readers are talking about things they don't like in the magazine, because at least we can bear that in mind for future editions.

So far this week, my favourite piece of reader feedback was from a lady who rang in yesterday afternoon with a 'Spotted' for our Upfront section.

Apparently, she had seen Peter Andre in Morrisons in Caterham buying, wait for it, an electric kettle of all things! Brilliant!

She was a bit nervous about ringing at first, but we soon got chatting and turns out she reads the magazine religiously.

Only downside is, she said she suffers from insomnia so looks at the magazine in bed to help her relax - which led me to conclude that it must also put her to sleep.

Hmm, let's just hope it doesn't have the same effect on the rest of our readers...

Anyway, don't forget that if you want to get in touch about anything at all - whether it's someone else buying an electrical appliance, something you love or hate in the mag or just somewhere you've particularly enjoyed visiting in Surrey - either post a comment below, write to us at the usual address or send me an e-mail at editor@surreylife.co.uk

Right, in the meantime, back to the madhouse...

The great escape

Survived the radio training day and, much to my surprise, actually rather enjoyed it.

Well, I say rather enjoyed it.. what I really mean is I rather enjoyed it now that I'm safely out the other side (in the same way you might look back on, say, a parachute jump).

Going into the studio was undoubtedly one of the most terrifying moments of my life, but against all the odds, somehow managed to string some vaguely coherent sentences together and think I stumbled through it without swearing.

Of course, the irony is, that bit was just the dress rehearsal - soon we will have to do this radio lark for real... gulp.

Anyway, it was great to catch up with all the other editors from across the south east (all scarily consummate radio personalities as it turned out) and good to have some time out the office.

Speaking of which, don't faint, but I'm attempting to have a few days off, so this blog and I will both be taking a short holiday.

Until then, hope you all have a good weekend and I'll be back again around the middle of next week

On the airwaves

Having spent several years helping out at a hospital radio station, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for radio.

For the patients, hearing their request on the airwaves was a massive boost and really did seem to help cheer them up when they were feeling low - though, incidentally, there were a whole host of records that were banned, like The Only Way is Up, for example... (I kid you not).

Back in the world of Radio 4 & co, I've always liked the fact that you have to use your imagination to create the pictures and also the simple fact that you can get on with other stuff while listening to the Today programme or your favourite music show or comedy series etc.

Anyway, I digress... The only reason I mention all this is because, much as I love radio, it doesn't mean I am exactly relishing the prospect of a day in the studio tomorrow with fellow editors from our sister titles across the south-east.

Apparently, we are going to be learning interview techniques - not how to interview other people (if we don't know that by now then we never will) but how to be interviewed - gulp! - with a view to getting us all on local radio a bit more.

This is exactly the kind of thing that fills me with dread...

Interviewing other people is one thing, but being interviewed myself? Yikes... What if my mind goes blank or they ask me something I don't know the answer to?

I can just see it now...

Interviewer: "So can you tell us about the latest drop in interest rates and what, in economic terms, this means for Surrey?"

Me: "Erm... "

Anyway, fingers crossed I can steer them on to talking about something safe like Cliff Richard (our celeb interview for the Christmas edition) or the top restaurants in the county or, I dunno, where I walk my dog - anything, in fact, except all the stuff I don't know.

Wish me luck...

Humble pie

Well, that'll teach me to make fun of e-mails from potential work experience students (see yesterday's entry).

I'm well and truly eating humble pie today after making not just one but two ridiculous e-mail gaffes myself.

First, I was intending to send out a mass e-mail about the Surrey Life Carol Concert, only to send our entire list of contacts next year's copy deadlines instead (don't ask...).

Cue lots of sarcy e-mails like this one...

"Caroline, I was delighted to hear from you, although I admit the attachment containing Surrey Life’s copy deadlines for 2009 took me a little unawares.

"I can only assume you would like me to contribute at some stage during the next 12 months. I could offer “Goat keeping in Merstham, - a retrospective” or “Killer chickens – how to rid your stables of rat infestation”.

Then, I finally manage to send them all the right e-mail, but put the Surrey Life Carol Concert 2009 instead of 2008 - aaaargh!

Cue the next barrage of e-mails:

"Have you been at the mulled wine already?"

Oh, ho, ho, ho...

Work experience

As you can imagine, we get absolutely inundated with requests from people wanting to do work experience at Surrey Life.

I can remember all too well how it feels when you're trying desperately to get your first job in journalism, wondering how you're ever going to break in, so I like to help out if I can.

However, I do expect students to have at least put a bit of thought into their letter - i.e. to have bothered to find out my name, to show some evidence of having read the magazine and also to be saying what they can do for us - rather than the other way round...

Take this little gem, for example, which turned up in my inbox this morning:

Dear Caroline Harrap,

Dear Marnie Wilson,

(firstly, if you're going to send the same e-mail to everyone, at least remember to take out the other people's names...)

I am an undergraduate studying English Literature, a subject which I have developed a strong passion for over the recent years of my education. I am extremely interested in undertaking a work placement with 'Surrey Life' as the specific career path I am currently focussing on is work in the Editorial field.

However the type of placement I am hoping for with 'Surrey Life' is a little different; I prefer to refer to it as a 'Communications Placement' ( ... er, what?), as it is not designed to replicate a typical 'work experience' placement (so if it's not a work experience placement, what exactly is it then?).

I need to complete such a placement as part of my degree course in the Spring Term of 2009, in which I hope to be assigned a specific task in any area of Communication within the company (er, sorry, you've lost me there - we're a magazine, not BT...)..

I do hope you will consider me for this position and I look forward to hearing from you in due course. If you would like to discuss further the type of placement I require, I am happy to have a telephone conversation with a member of your team (the type of placement you require? You're happy to have a conversation with us?).

Best regards,

And don't even get me started on the mission statement in their CV, which is another story in itself.

Needless to say, if they can't even get my name right, never mind speak in plain English, I don't think they're going to be quite cut out for our magazine.

Fortunately, at the other end of the scale, we do get lots of good people asking to join us, too - like our current work experience student, Ceiri, who has already turned in some excellent stories.

Back in the days when I was a journalism student, I did work placements at Woman's Own, BBC Radio 4 and the Surrey Mirror, among others, and whilst each was utterly terrifying in its own way, they were all absolutely invaluable, too.

Anyway, I've rambled on for long enough now, but if I'm in a good mood tomorrow, I might just tell you how I very nearly got thrown out of one of the above when I made a fairly monumental blunder. More on that tomorrow (perhaps...).