THIS is the last time you’ll see me in this paper, unless I pursue a life of vagabondery or celebrity. So more accurately, this is the last time I’ll be writing in this paper.

When I started writing this column some seven years ago (Does that make you feel old? It does me) I squirmed my way in by virtue of having a young and local perspective.

Now, almost 22 and heading for ungainly London in a few short months, I have very sadly realised that I no longer tick either of those boxes and so to continue to write Here’s Hannah would be fraudulent at worst, and ill-informed at best.

I do not know how to Twitter and I can’t advise you on the quality of the area’s skate parks – and any local youth worth their salt could do both of these things.

But even though, like Dick Whittington, I am heading to the capital’s golden streets to make my fortune, don’t think that that’s the end of the road for me and Ryedale.

In fact, it is only since I’ve been away at university that I’ve come to realise just how lucky I am to live in this part of the world.

Wandering around Scagglethorpe when I’m back for weekends everyone who passes me says hello, and I remember how lovely it is to know people and places.

There’s nowhere else where people can say they’ve seen not just me, but my mum and my whole family grow up – there is no such thing as anonymity in Ryedale and I will try hardest to take that with me wherever I end up living.

The day I stop saying “morning” to my neighbours is the day I’ll pack my bags and head back up north. Ryedale is such a great place to grow up and live in, and I can honestly say that nothing will ever feel quite as like home as pulling off the A64 and past the Ham and Cheese does.

Not many teenagers are fortunate/unfortunate enough to have their (highly-edited) diary published in a real-life newspaper and it has been a strange and wonderful experience to write for the Gazette.

I’m dreading next Wednesday when I’ve got a week’s worth of cynicism stored up but nowhere to vent my spleen. In fact, I imagine I’ll spend most of my days hanging around speaker’s corner in Hyde Park and spurting lengthy monologues to the people of London just to fill the gap that this column will leave in my life.

And not only has it provided space for me to blabber on about this and that, but has been the main reason and motivation behind my choice of career path, so I have much to be grateful for.

And of course, thank you to everyone who has read this column over the years and has graciously put up with my weekly whinging (and sometimes whinged back at me).

I hope that the Gazette continues to go from strength to strength and that our lovely area continues to be thriving and friendly. It’s been a ball, Ryedale!