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October 23, 2003updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Cassandra column bids final farewell

By Press Gazette

The Daily Mirror has dropped its Cassandra column 18 months after reviving it. The original Cassandra, William Connor, was a Fleet Street legend during the Mirror’s heyday between 1935 and 1967 and was said to write in a “polished-up barrack room style”.

The column was revived when the Mirror relaunched as a paper with a more serious news agenda. As with the original Cassandra, the writer’s identity has been kept a closely guarded secret, with the column appearing underneath a pair of spectacles.

Cassandra told Press Gazette this week: “I think we felt it wasn’t quite making the waves we were hoping it would. I’m just glad they gave it a good run. “I think it appealed to a Mirror public that doesn’t really exist any more – all the letters we got were from old people.”

Editor Piers Morgan said: “It was brilliant fun while it lasted. It’s just run its natural course and served its purpose, which was to remind people about the great heritage of the paper.”

Cassandra’s identity will be revealed in Press Gazette next week, when he – or she – writes a farewell feature.

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