Editor - Simon Hollway 

They said it would never last. They predicted we’d run out of steam. They were wrong. Oh so, so wrong. All our initial detractors made two critical misjudgments. Firstly they underestimated an Englishman’s innate, God given and feudal propensity for whining. Secondly, they seriously over-estimated the inviolate perfection of Australia which is surely immune to prolonged criticism.

And thus, our esteemed publication has reached its second birthday, winning the Publishers’ Australia Magazine Launch of the Year along the way. Possibly not a popular choice, us not being Australian and all, but obviously the correct decision! And it’s been a blast along the way. The mainstream media coverage has been overwhelming and, our heartfelt thanks for this, exceptionally complimentary. The slightest whiff of an English related story, from Tasmania through to the Top End, and one of the office rent-a-gobs is strong-armed into some live interview. Miraculously we haven’t managed to swear or stumble as yet, apart from my inadvertent remarks comparing my unphotogenic smile to Helen Daniels from Neighbours’ facial stroke. How was I to know she’d died a few years earlier? Anyway, I’m sure she’d be smiling about it up in heaven. Well, half-smiling.

And here we are today, two years on, seventy years older and absolutely no wiser. The UK emigration exodus into Australia shows no signs of abating and our readers’ vociferous comments and continual correspondence suggests there’s a lot of life yet in this young pup of a mag. One slightly disappointing aspect is that much of the virulent and downright abusive letters from the Aussies have almost stopped. Now this may sound perverse, but we love them! If we dish it out, we’re delighted to receive it in return so keep those insults rolling in.

Curiously, the main thing that has changed over the past 24 months is that there seems to be a more mellow vibe drifting through POM Towers. We’re beginning to accept all the differences in Australia and, more poignantly, becoming more forgiving of the political, economic and social atrocities that we’ve left behind in the UK. Then again, winter is fast approaching down under and, however benign, that should give us plenty to whinge about.

Thanks for all our readers and the media’s support and here’s to the next two years!