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August 2, 2016

Editor axed by Trinity Mirror uses odd-numbered listicle to reflect on an ignominious exit

By Dominic Ponsford

Herts and Essex Observer editor Paul Winspear took redundancy last month after ten years in the job.

He has ruefully reflected in a Facebook post on how his 33-year career at Herts and Essex Newspapers came to an ignominious end. Aptly enough, considering his exit comes as part of Trinity Mirror’s carve up of former Local World titles (see Gareth Davies Twitter-storm for background) the chosen form for his musings is an odd-numbered listicle.

Winspear leaves along with four other HEN editorial colleagues made redundant by Trinity Mirror.

His piece is reproduced here with permission:

MY 9-STEP GUIDE TO DEPARTING YOUR JOB WITH IGNOMINY

  1. Wake up with a jolt at 5.15am, four days after you’ve been made redundant, and realise you still haven’t cleared your desk and emptied your drawers
  2. Drive to the office… about three hours earlier than you would if you still fucking worked there!
  3. Pack up all the misshapen paper clips, dried-up elastic bands and Costa napkins you’ll need for the rest of your life in a big yellow DHL box
  4. Carry the box outside to your car parked in the street, where NatWest workmen have coned off every bay around you, in preparation for the arrival of a very important skip, and are wondering where the fuck the owner of the crappy little Smart car is
  5. THIS IS VITAL… leave ALL the keys that you possess, including the ones to your car and the office where you’re no longer welcome, ON THE FUCKING RECEPTION COUNTER AS THE DOOR SHUTS BEHIND YOU… FFS!!!!
  6. Avoid eye contact with NatWest workmen, who are wondering if you’re the Smart car owner holding up arrival of their very important skip
  7. With just 3% charge left on your phone, text the 0.3 remaining members of the news team – an hour before any of them are due in – and *plead* with them to come and rescue their pathetic ex-boss
  8. Sit on big yellow DHL box of paper clips, elastic bands and napkins outside office door for 25 minutes while a reporter graciously drives in early to let you back in, and pretend you’re a delivery driver waiting for the office to open and not an ex-employee who’s just shit at leaving
  9. Rock gently back and forth, holding your head in your hands and murmur within earshot of passers-by: “I used to be big in this town, I used to have a career in clickbait…”

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