DR CHRISTOPHER Bridger was my parents’ family doctor for almost 40 years.

I remember going to him for something myself when he joined Park Grove surgery and I’d just left university so that was well over thirty-five years ago.

My father had nothing but good things to say about him, my mother would have had him on a poster on her wall if she could.

Her face when she turned up at Burleigh Medical Centre (where the surgery relocated to) to find him giving out the covid jabs – it lit up with nuclear luminescence.

It absolutely made her day that she could say hello to him. My parents’ affection for Dr Bridger is anchored in good reason for he is one of those old school, caring, medics who takes the time to know his patients, respects them, helps them far above and beyond the call of duty and doesn’t bundle them out of the door when they’ve had their allotted time.

He was genuinely upset when mum and dad died because he’d seen so much of them over the years and grown attached.

And at the end of March he is retiring. I’m telling you this in case you didn’t know and missed the chance to say ‘thank you’ to him for his many, many years of service, devotion, expertise... and kindness.

Dr Bridger – the biggest thank you from me and my family. For everything.

I confess when I read Derek Hawkes’ pulls-no-punches letter in the Chron last week, I had to look up what he meant by ‘Barnsley’s own Chicken Little’.

I remember taking my son to see that film many years ago but I couldn’t recall the character’s personality and so needed to research further.

However, in my haste for clarity I’d inadvertently hunted for ‘STUART Little’ who is of course a mere small rodent.

Back to the internet then to finally discover that Chicken Little is one who over-worries, is anxiety-riddled, a doom-monger. Ah – mystery solved. Thought I’d enlighten you in case you were in the same boat that I was.

I would like to thank everyone who turned up for my book launch in the library and the Book Vault last week – you made me very proud.

And you are supporting an independent book shop with your purchases so extra thank you.

But also I want to give a massive shout out to the magnificent staff at the library who are running the book festival (and must be knackered) and were there to stuff my goody bags, sell my raffle tickets, making sure everything ran seamlessly and it did.

You are absolutely fantastic and I am beyond grateful for everything you did to give my book the best lift-off. Still copies left at the shop by the way… with free accompanying goodies!

I had the pleasure of doing a local radio show this week ‘Radio Essentials’ and I confess (again) I thought it would be a small station with about twelve listeners and would probably not be the best use of my time.

I was absolutely delighted to find out how wrong I was. A slick operation based in Barnsley, covering the whole of South Yorkshire, seven days a week service and employing Howie Pressman, a presenter I knew from Radio Sheffield when he worked there who was and still is one of the best on the planet.

It’s a station that is growing at the rate of knots and is run by people with vision and commitment and know-how – and good old passion. Do give them a listen, you’ll keep them on your radar I betcha.