A chief reporter described as “irreplacable” by her editor has retired after a 30-year career.

Julie Harding bowed out of the Bristol Evening Post having first joined the paper in 1982.

Post editor Mike Norton said: “I will never find another like her. She is irreplaceable. She represents everything that’s good about local newspaper journalism.

“She is professional, passionate, hard working and has an ability to connect with and help younger journalists.”

Julie Harding surrounded by Evening Post colleagues at her retirement bash

Julie, now 50, arrived in Bristol in 1980 and initially worked for the weekly Bristol Observer as a trainee reporter.

She joined the Evening Post two years later, but returned to the Observer for a further seven years after the birth of her daughter, Tegolin.

In 1991 she rejoined the Post full-time and within a year was made crime reporter.

She remained in the role for nine years, one of the longest tenures in the paper’s history, before becoming chief reporter.

Over the years Julie made a name for herself as a passionate and committed campaigning journalist.

Following birth of her daughter she wrote a two-page feature about the hospital which was due to close and spearheaded a campaign to keep it open.

Julie also campaigned about the care of teenage girls in Bristol.

She wrote about the plight of one girl, Christine X, who helped her to expose pimps who encouraged young girls to become prostitutes at a Downend children’s home.

Thanks to her stories, other girls came forward and, after a year-long campaign, the home was closed and the city council re-wrote its care procedures.

Julie was also at the forefront of the Evening Post campaign to try to save the Cadbury factory at Keynsham.

It was her idea to confront the Cadbury directors at a top London restaurant when they went for a meal shortly after the closure was announced.

Said Julie: “I get up in the morning and I write stories. That’s what I do. It’s like cleaning my teeth.”

Comments

Chris Maguire (16/09/2010 10:07:47)
Well done Julie. I can'{ believe you’ve revealed your age! Good luck.

Mike Lowe (16/09/2010 10:29:40)
Best wishes for the future, Julie.

Steve (16/09/2010 13:13:54)
Jules, you’re a legend! Glad I could make it on Monday night x

steve white (16/09/2010 13:33:44)
Best wishes, Julie. stevew