Most definitely not a single regret!

And so it came to pass that Venue magazine – my main outlet for outpourings of words – went to good old fashioned press (remember that?) for the last time this month. Much has already been said on the matter, most notably by golden wordsmith (and Venue stalwart) Eugene Byrne and the magazine’s last editor Tom Wainwright (who, weirdly enough, I’ve yet to meet). Really, I need not add anymore – it’s all been said, done and dusted; all that remains is the send-off party, at once an event to look forward to and one to wear the waterproof mascara for. So, all that’s left for me to add to the eulogy is a massive thank you to Venue for having me: if it hadn’t been for their faith in me, I’m not sure if I’d have ever found the courage to mouth off in public, establish myself as a ‘real’ Bathonian (the local doors that the Venue key opened were truly amazing) nor meet a group of unique people who influenced – and, I hope, will continue to influence - my life in a variety of ways. And I certainly wouldn’t have been gifted with the opportunity to discover just how much I love to write about food! But hey, this apparently cheerless discord is far from any sort of swansong. In freelance writer terms, I’m well aware that I’m definitely one of the lucky ones; I’m proud to say that I will continue to write for Bristol and Bath’s utterly gorgeous Folio magazine, and our food supplement (Eating Out West, don’cha know) continues to go from strength to strength. Meanwhile, there’s plenty of other stuff partying in the pipeline too... and I’ve made a vow to myself to blog more when the devil (that’s the word-spewing devil, natch, not the nasty, fire breathing one with the goatee and the goat’s legs) drives – a bit of time on one’s hand isn’t always a bad thing, particularly if you’re a girl who just can’t keep her mouth shut... Onwards and upwards? Indeed! But before we get on with that, let's have a little bit of this

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