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TV-am pioneer Anne Diamond has been remembering her days in the regionalpress after the Bournemouth Echo managed to track her down.

In an interview with features writer Faith Eckersall, she looked backfondly on her hectic days at the Echo. Like all reporters, she endured daysin court, NCTJ exams and trawling for stories on quieter days.

Before the well-publicised diets, her marriage break-up and the sad deathof her baby, Sebastian, she was a reporter at the south coast daily.

She is currently working on her latest TV venture, Anne DiamondGrills, and also has a new position as head of customer care at thepersonal injury compensation claim firm Recover.

Anne started at the Echo in 1978 – and can still remember the first storyshe got in print.

She told Faith: “My parents lived near Ferndown and my sister had a babyon Leap Year Day, so I called up the editor and asked him if he wasinterested in the story.”

Anne was working as a reporter on the weekly Bridgwater Mercury whenglamorous BBC Bristol offered her a job. “But I couldn’t take it up for atleast a year, so I decided to get some evening newspaper experience.”

She wrote to the editor of the then Evening Echo. “I came for aninterview but I don’t think it was with the editor. In fact, I don’t think Ieven met him during all the time I was there.

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