The end of an era | 2 June 2012

We baristas at Coffee House tend not to write about each other, but today I’d like to make an exception and say a little about Pete Hoskin, who is going freelance after four years running this blog. Regular CoffeeHousers will know about his rare combination of insight, humour and his gentle writing style which only adds to the force of his comment. But writing is only the most visible part of his job. His job for the last few years has been Coffee House editor – which not only means protecting the blog’s character and sense of fun, but working on the copy filed to him. As someone who has had several hundred pieces improved by Pete’s editing, I perhaps owe him more than anyone else at The Spectator.
 
When Matthew Parris was named Columnist of the Year recently, he stood up at the podium and thanked his editor Anne Spackman – about the third Times writer to do so that night.