How’s that, eh? What an incredible ride this Squiz thing has been already, and we’re so privileged to have the opportunity to bat on. That’s down to you, Squizer. Your loyalty and commitment to spreading the word mean we’re still standing – and dare I jinx it – thriving.

There are 3 things to note about us as we pour ourselves a celebratory cuppa.

The first is to acknowledge the great people who make The Squiz work. We’ve grown from me/single/solo when we started publishing on this day in 2017, to 11 people contributing content across The Squiz, Squiz Kids, and Sport Today, and in the all-important commercial and digital/engagement teams. They’re an able group of superstars, and I get a buzz out of spending time with each of them – which is great because our growth plans are epic and we have a lot of work to do…

The 2nd is to tell you we’re so proudly independent. When I started the Squiz, it was important to me to be opinion-free/agenda-free with a pure focus on what our building audience wants. The longer we go on, the more I understand how being free to make our own calls enables that. To keep it that way, we’ll continue to rely on your support. We say it a lot, but every referral helps us to stand on our own 2 feet and to grow and do more.

And the 3rd thing – I don’t even notice the early mornings anymore. It’s. So. Weird. Sure, I have a good sleep-in on Saturday morning. But Monday-Friday, I’m super-cool about the 3.45am starts. It only took 4.5 years…

Mwah, and thanks again.

Claire Kimball – Founder of The Squiz/smug early-riser