Yesterday I celebrated 30 years at the Majorca Daily Bulletin. You may find it odd that I started work on the newspaper three days before Christmas but that was the case. But the Bulletin is rather quirky: its first ever edition appeared on 31 December and this year the "old girl" is celebrating 55 years of daily publication.
When I joined the paper our offices were in the Calle San Felio, just off the Borne, and to this day Calle San Felio remains the spiritual home of the newspaper. We moved to our new offices in the Paseo de Mallorca in 1992 and the Bulletin old guard always say that if you didn't work at San Felio you are not MDB through and through.
The Bulletin has changed dramatically over the years thanks to technology and new printing methods. Back in the San Felio days it was a real labour of love with the newspaper being produced thanks to hot-metal and ink. These days it is still a labour of love but it's all about key boards and a mouse. Majorca has also changed. The British expat community is smaller and not so concentrated in a few key places. British tourism also ruled supreme. During my 30 years on the newspaper I have met many fantastic people and I hope I have written a few fantastic articles. But I must say that my first story was published in the Bulletin in 1979 - when I was a nine-year-old schoolboy. To this day my dear colleague and San Felio veteran Ray Fleming maintains that it was the best article I have ever written.
But the Bulletin is not just about articles it is about people and I would like to wish you all a happy Christmas and thank you for your support.