After such a fulfilling and challenging year, being faced with the end of my tenure fills me with an eclectic mix of emotions. Like a prime minister, you campaign for the role with promises and inspiring ideas, before turning up at number 10 (the basement Redbrick office) greeted with the hidden challenges, and all the reasons why you will be unable to fulfil what you intended. However, we have overcome these challenges, and firmly entered the age of prosperity that I flippantly promised at the start of the year.

When I came into this position, Redbrick Newspaper was like its other 87-year-old counterparts. It’d had an illustrious past and looked good for its age – but underneath was confused, had suffered the effects of COVID-19, struggled to adapt to the modern world, been financially abused and vaguely smelled of wee. Redbrick had relied on its earned stature as a historic institution so much that it had forgotten to move forward, and like anything historic, it needed maintenance.

Instead of continuing to sail a sinking ship, keeping it afloat long enough to hand off to be someone else’s problem, I have dedicated every spare minute and morsel of energy to ensure Redbrick Newspaper not only continues, but flourishes. It may be immodest, but this year, the Redbrick team and I have excelled ourselves, and I’m incredibly grateful; especially when considering the cost. I’m grateful for every one of our 220-strong team: every committee member, editor, writer, and editorial assistant alongside every reader that has picked up a newspaper (that includes you!). I’m especially grateful for the unparalleled hard work and dedication of Print & Features Editor, Jess Parker, who puts the ‘paper’ in Redbrick Newspaper. Redbrick relies on people, as I said in my first editorial of the year, this newspaper is a record of people’s passions, experiences and perspectives.

This year we’ve not only expanded internally: hosting ticketed events and balls, reintroduced merchandising, and made major infrastructural changes to ensure long-term financial sustainability, but externally too. Redbrick has joined the BAFTA press junket, worked with BBC Newsnight, collaborated with, and had writers contribute to, The Sunday Times, been nominated for every possible Guild Award, and achieved a record 40,000 new readers to our website every month! All this while having 5 successful printed editions and maintaining day-to-day operations.

After tackling this 87-year-old behemoth, hosing it down, giving it a face-lift, new wardrobe and a pat on the back, I am met with an immense sense of pride in what we’ve achieved; lined with the melancholy of leaving it behind. My next adventure will never compare to the friends, opportunities and experiences I’ve had being the Editor-in-Chief of Redbrick Newspaper. It has been nothing less than a privilege. This 87-year-old has a new carer now, and I know he will be fantastic.

Thank you, so much.

Alex Taylor

If you enjoyed this editorial, check out our previous letters linked below:

Issue 1533: Letters from the Digital Editors

Issue 1532: Letter from the Print & Features Editor

Issue 1530: Letter from the Editor-in-Chief