AS 2012 prepares to give way to 2013 it is a good time to take stock and reflect on the last 12 months.

Nobody could deny that economically it has been difficult and here at the Review we would like to take this opportunity to thank all those readers and advertisers who have stuck with us.

I think it's fair to say that the Review is a Forest institution but we cannot afford to be complacent.

Advertising revenue is the bedrock of the paper. Without it we could not bring the mix of local news and what must be one of the liveliest letters pages in the country.

We print and distribute 45,000 copies of the paper across the Forest and Wye Valley and it is that loyal readership that makes the Review the best advertising vehicle in the area.

Come along to the Review office just before noon on a Wednesday and you'll see a queue of people who can't wait for their paper to be delivered. Throughout the week there is a steady stream of people coming in for papers for families and friends.

I appreciate that there were a few hiccups when a new distribution company took over and for that I again apologise.

But there was a silver lining to that particular cloud in as much as the many phone calls and e-mails we received about papers not getting delivered showed us just how much people value the paper.

That was very humbling and made us even more determined to iron out the problems.

The distribution depends on an army of young and not-so-young deliverers who complete their rounds every week and to them we extend an especially warm thank you.

They are often more than just the Review boy/girl/man/lady, they are an important part of the local community and a friendly face for people who may not get many visitors.

I'm proud of the paper that drops through letter boxes and grateful for all your feedback whether positive or telling us where we've fallen short.

All that remains is to wish you a very happy Christmas and warmest wishes for 2013 from me and the advertising and editorial teams here at the Review.

Don't forget to make a bit of room for your Review in the Christmas holidays – see the back page for details of when the paper will be out.

Best wishes

Mark Elson

Editor on behalf of everyone at the Review.