Colin Drury of The Star, Sheffield, was named columnist of the year at the 2011 Regional Press Awards. Here he shares some tips on the art of column writing.

Two years ago I received an email from a man addressing me as F*** Face and referring me to an internet site set up in my honour.

It was a Facebook hate group. At first I laughed at ‘We Hate Colin Drury Of The Halifax Evening Courier’. Then I noticed it had more friends than my own profile.