Hunts Post Review: Covid restrictions ended and Julian retires

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was talking about the lifting of all covid restrictions and that an annoucment would be made soon. We were now to move away from government restrictions and people would be relying on personal responsibility as part of the country's living with Covid plan.

There was also a plan to remove the legal requirement for individuals to self-isolate after a positive test.

There was also news that council tax bills were set to rise. The county's fire service said it needed more cash to ensure it would be abe to “keep people safe” across Cambridgeshire.

Then came the announcment that the lovely team at Buckfest has won Cambridgeshire’s Best Festival for 2021 The sell-out event had topped the Cambridgeshire category of the East Anglian Festival Network (EAFN) awards for five years. 

It was announced that Buckfest had won another award. (Image: BUCKFEST)

February 
The Hunts Post announced that more than 300 people in Huntingdonshire had died from Covid 19 since the pandemic began. This was the latest news from official Government data. Since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, 309 deaths have been officially recorded up to February 9, 2022. MP for Huntingdon, Jonathan Djanogly said the figures were “devastating” for those who had lost a loved one.

The Hunts Post launched its environmental campaign called Time for Change. The aim was to create more awareness around environmental issues and provide examples and tips to enable people to make small changes that cumulatively could make a huge difference in reducing global warming and helping us reach net zero targets.

Time For Change campaign (Image: HUNTS POST)

There was also news that long-serving local reporter Julian Makey, who joined The Hunts Post in 1975 as a trainee, had decided to hang up his notepad and pen and retire.

Julian spent nine years reporting local news and events. He then joined what was then the Cambridge Evening News and returned to the Post for the last five years of his career.

He said: "Over the years I have seen the job change from the end of hot metal - in which print was put together using molten lead - through to digital technology and the introduction of computers. I could do most of my job now using a mobile phone, although a notebook and pen have remained a constant throughout.

I have written about people at their best and at their worst and will miss that, having spent a lifetime doing a job which rarely seemed like work."

March

Christine Green, a St Neots town councillor, was named as one of The Hunts Post inspirational women to celebrate International Women's Day.

Christine was described as a stalwart of the local community. She has served as a Trustee on St Neots Foodbank and also volunteered for the Friday Food group, which supports the community by providing hot food.

Readers heard that Christine feels passionate about environmental issues and was clearly delighted when her proposal to declare a Climate Emergency was adopted by SNTC in 2019.

This led to a range of initiatives which she continues to actively support, especially Waterside Green Energy and the town's tree planting project.

Christine Green was named as an inspirational woman in The Hunts Post (Image: SNTC)