ON the morning of May 5, 1962 a young, 18 year old boy presented an application for a job to then Managing Director of The VOICE Publishing Company, Mr Percy Charles. He was straight from school. Purely coincidentally, THE VOICE was at that time going through a period of reorganisation. On the spot, the young school boy was hired and immediately started working at THE VOICE as a cub reporter. The young school boy’s name was Guy Ellis.
Almost 55 years later Ellis is preparing to hand over the editorial reins of the newspaper that he has guided and formed over three or so decades and after retirement returned to steer the ship once more for three more years into the present.
We trumpet our success in terms of our circulation; we absorb (we hope graciously) the compliments offered to us on the content and relevance of the paper; we note with quiet pride that it is not within memory that we have missed producing a paper on a scheduled publication day – all of the above has in some part been achieved with the help of the quiet and self-effacing editor of THE VOICE, Guy Ellis.
However, as the Roman poet Virgil observed so many hundreds of years ago ‘tempus fugit’ and the time has come to bid adieu to Guy Ellis. We do so well conscious of the debt which we, and readers of the paper owe to him. We wish him good health with which to enjoy such tasks he has laid by to achieve during his retirement.
Without a pause, we welcome Mr. Stan Bishop who steps into Ellis’ large shoes. Bishop made, as a young man of 34 years, his journalistic intention known. He then left St Lucia to further his education. He returned and joined The VOICE Editorial Department some six years ago and is well known for his coverage of all cultural events in St. Lucia as well as his insightful commentaries on the current affairs of our nation as they take place.
At THE VOICE we say, with sadness au revoir to Mr. Ellis and a confident welcome Mr. Bishop, our new Editor.