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August 16, 2012

Brechin Advertiser ed ends 37-year journalism career

By Andrew Pugh

The editor of Scottish weekly the Brechin Advertiser is leaving the paper after ten years as editor.

Alan Ducat retires from the paper on Friday, bringing an to his 37-year career in journalism, which began as a junior reporter on the Forfar Dispatch.

He worked his way up to become editor of the paper, later taking up editorship of the Kirriemuir Herald and finally the Brechin Advertiser.

A lengthy piece featured in this week’s paper on Ducat’s retirement, in which he told readers how ‘over almost four decades I have been part of an industry that’s moved from the typewriter to the computer, from black and white editions to full colour”.

He added: ‘Reflecting over 37 roller-coaster years in a career that threw up something different practically every day, I will leave with countless happy memories, and a sense of achievement in a number of areas.”

Last year the paper was left stunned by the sudden death of reporter Steve Mitchell at the age of 42.

Ducat said: ‘There’s little doubt the Brechiner suffered a major blow in May of last year, with the untimely death of Steve Mitchell.

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‘I was stunned by that early Sunday morning news, for Steve was not only a trusted colleague, but a very close friend.

‘I often think of Steve while bashing out sports copy on a Sunday morning, remembering the days when I used to sub his latest tale on the fortunes of his beloved Brechin City.

‘I will continue to remember him, but it will be over a bacon roll and a coffee as I glean through the Sunday papers – without having to think of popping down to the office to catch up with work.”

He added: ‘And, while I am preparing to clear the desk and ride off into the sunrise on Friday, there are others ready to take up the challenge of taking local reporting into a new era – one in which the web and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter will play a leading role.”

The paper had an average weekly circulation of 2,513 in the last six months of 2011, down 7.7 per cent year on year.

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