+44 (0)1903 882954 admin@arundeltowncouncil.gov.uk

The Bell is like a relay race. Since it began at Christmas 1995, each editor has handed on the baton to their chosen successor. The Editor’s baton passed from founder John Munro (Community Award Winner 2021) to former Mayor Joe Hayes to Marian Webb to Gill Farquharson (Community Award Winner, jointly with Malcolm Farquharson, 2022). For 28 years the handover was seamless. Until, after ten years, Gill herself held out the baton and for a while no-one took it from her.

Race over? Bell silenced? That was unthinkable. The Bell matters. It shows us the very best face of our town. Every issue reminds us how lucky we are to live here in Arundel. The writing and photography are outstanding. Under successive editors it has evolved into the best local magazine I have ever seen.

So, the Town Council has stepped in, rather as we did a few years ago with the Farmers Market which has proved to be a highly successful intervention. The Bell will remain 100% editorially and financially independent. It has a great editorial committee and we want to add some new faces to it. Together we will do our utmost to carry on producing an outstanding ever-improving quarterly magazine, building on the great foundations that we have inherited.

It would take someone braver than me not to have pre-race nerves about taking on the Editorship of The Bell, following a consummate professional like Gill. But it is exciting too and, in the words of The Beatles, I hope to get by with a little help from my friends.

Correction: with a lot of help from my friends. And as Gill tells me, everyone has always found working on The Bell to be great fun.

To move The Bell forward, we now need some additional support for the stalwart team who are currently managing the advertising, managing the publishing process and proof reading. If you would like to work with us in any of these areas please contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Tony Hunt

Mayor of Arundel & Chief Bell-Ringer

Mayor@arundeltowncouncil.gov.uk

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