Last words from the Editor
Unfortunately on Monday 4th August 2008 I had to declare Breathing Space Bankcrupt. One of the hardest decisions in my life to make, and if it wasn't for the dire financial status of the local economy right now I have a feeling things may of been very different. Since February of 2005 I have been the father of a magazine that has grown from a little news-sheet flyer started in Totnes to a full colour magazine that has been distributed to over 30,000 across Devon, The Southwest and Somerset. It has has changed over the years to accommodate so many ideas and supported so many. I have been delighted to place so much effort in design, marketing and photography to create Breathing Space over the years.
A magazine that started life in the back bedroom (literally), with the support of my ex-wife Christine, and friends Steve Judd and Sue Minns to name a few. . . back then a very small four page flyer type magazine with the core advertising base being just from Totnes High Street. Only 400 printed at Veasy's the printers made the town very excited! Over the next few years ideas from Tom Hands, Mel Oborn, Steve Mills and the Design Staff at Colourworks print and design, enabled the magazine to grow into colour, established an online Radio Station and brought into existence competitions, the moon phase and regular recipes. Breathing Space started it's very own Network Nights at the seven stars in Totnes, and expanded out further to Plymouth and Exeter.
Of course we celebrated the growth at Quest in Newton Abbot with a slightly bigger stand, free goodie bags and some great competitions. Even a space for local practitioners to join on a secondary stand! Soon after Mel became pregnant and was sad to let the magazine help go, for the concentration and preparation for her new baby boy! Breathing Space made an evolutionary step from the home office location to it's very first office. Set in Colourworks in Totnes. The office was slightly tight on space, and was a bit dark having no windows, but it was a great little space. And for those who visited Breathing Space at that location will remember how hot it all got in that little cupboard space! (and not just at Deadline day)
Things got real busy in that little office, and I made the decision to bring Ian R Crane into the equation as my assistant editor, then Lucy Pannel as my advertising and customer accounts manager. With Ian on board, the little team grew stronger. Features became even most substantial in essence, and Lucy brought creative flair to organising the office filing system. It wasn't too long that a full time office assistant was required to cope with the day to day calls, and that's when Andrea Dobson joined the team at just the right time. By that time, space at Colourworks had become impossible, and the decision was made to move out, and into a slightly more substantial office space. One that had a window (or two) and enough space for all of us to sit without being on each others laps. (more breathing space) And so the office moved to Dartington Hall Trust Estate, and Room One the Courtyard. . .
All sounds very grand, and over the next 6 months Breathing Space was breathing out even further, Exeter to Axminster, Axminster to Lyme Regis, and then Glastonbury to Wells. And over the Christmas and New Year of 2007, Breathing Space published it's biggest edition ever, it also featured it's very own directory. (all gift wrapped like a present to you)
But 2008 a sting in the tail, became apparent! . . Our advertising and features intake fell by 25%, and no matter how many calls I made I just couldn't grab enough attention that we were in danger of losing this magazine. Lucy left for pastures new soon after the New Year. And attention was focussed on sponsoring the Alternative View event which was successfully held in Totnes in April. However the magazine was falling fast, and more of my own money was being placed into the funds to keep things going. Selling photographs and doing Car boot sales to enable personal and business finances to flow. And not long after the Alternative view event my great assistant in the office had to go. . . And whilst every effort was made to keep Breathing Space in Dartington, the rent became too much to swallow, for me to justify. It was time to leave the courtyard, and on the day I grabbed the last of the boxes, I had an enormous accident just five minutes down the road at Huxams Cross. I felt it was the last straw, sitting at the side of the road picking up the glass and seeing my only car (blazon with Breathing Space) dragged sideways onto the recovery truck. Within a few days, I purchased a car for £400 and was able to distribute the magazine (albeit a bit small and not really built for weight). Extreme financial juggling left no option but to place what little I had from the Insurance into printing of the next edition. And the pages of Breathing Space slightly lifted with some fantastic support. However, working from home, designing, dealing with accounts and trying to establish new advertising whilst attempting to fit in extra work with photography and graphic design left me with hardly any time. And with a very limited income and sliding debts the Breathing Space days have been numbered. I wanted the last edition to be the September one, I had already co-ordinated the features and advertising to end with this edition. However once the Bankruptcy notice was served on Monday 4th August at 10.30am*, the official receiver had frozen all of the accounts, and unless the printing could be paid by an external source the magazine would have to remain at the printers. Kingfisher Design and Print have been superb to the magazine, and the support and service has been second to none, my partner (Susan Smith) felt that it would have been such a waste of time for them and me and that the integrity of Breathing Space and my name was at stake that she payed for the entire print cost from her overdraft. *Just to give you extent of how tight the money is, when I made the arrangement with the Court to declare Bankruptcy I was advised to bring £485 (the service fee), however when at the court it was disclosed that it was £495!... we didn't have the extra, until a lady in the Que. gave us the extra money required.
Although I have no money to drive or post Breathing Space to Glastonbury, all of the distribution has been completed as from today (Wednesday 6th August).
I must finish this last editorial if I can with a very positive note of grateful wishes too all that have read, advertised, and supported my journey over the years. I will miss you all, and I will very much miss the magazine through all the joy and sadness that it may have brought with it. I trust that you will hold a place in your heart that will remain a Breathing Space for sometime to come. I also hope that those who are affected by the sudden end of the magazine will understand that this has been very much beyond my control.
Kindest Regards
Simon Morris - Editor