Ben Jolley takes a look back on the year where we have celebrated the community, shared your stories and kept you up to date with the latest news every step of the way.

Take a look at some of the biggest and best stories from the final quarter of 2023. 

OCTOBER 

In a great feat of collaborative work, young artists from Europe arrived in the district and joined students from Huntingdon and Godmanchester to paint the murals as part of the Bridging Art Murals (BAM) Youth Cultural Festival.

Huntingdon & Godmanchester Twinning Association (HGTA) and The Commemoration Hall combined to organise the event, with the murals creating a visual story of how twin towns across Europe are linked.

The Hunts Post: The Godmanchester skatepark was transformed by young artists into something "vibrant and exciting".

Later that month, a team of almost 50 bounced, crawled, jogged and jumped their way through an inflatable 5k at Huntingdon Racecourse to raise more than £4,000 for a local NHS charity.

Community nurses, allied health professionals, and administration and support staff, together with family members all took on the challenge in aid of Head to Toe, the charity of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT).

The Hunts Post: Team Scrambled legs slide over the finish line

This year marked the 40th anniversary of Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon and, in October, the hospital managed to track down the family of one of the first babies born there.  

Christine Slack was sent to the new Hinchingbrooke Hospital because her doctor was unable to hear her baby’s heartbeat.  

Already a couple of days overdue, a midwife met her at the entrance of Huntingdon’s new hospital to take her to the maternity unit.  

The Hunts Post: Kelly Luff, pictured with her mum Christine Slack, was the second baby born at Hinchingbrooke

NOVEMBER

One of the loveliest stories of the year was that of a Royal Navy veteran from St Neots who received his Nuclear Test Medal - only 65 years late.

When John Gibbs answered his doorbell, he was greeted by his postman bearing a parcel from the MOD Medal Office.

John opened the parcel and showed his medal to the postman, who was most impressed when John explained why it had been awarded to him.

The Hunts Post: Veteran John Gibbs when he served in the Royal Navy and with his Nuclear Test Medal.

On a similarly feel-good note, a care home resident paid a visit to The Hunts Post office as part of an occupational wish scheme, and managed to solve a decades-old mystery.

Janet Aves, now in her eighties, was a former advertising clerk for the newspaper in the 1960s.

During the visit, Janet was presented with an old black and white image of staff in the sixties, in which she herself was pictured.

The Hunts Post: Janet was presented with the old photo at the office in Huntingdon. Janet was presented with the old photo at the office in Huntingdon. (Image: Newsquest)

Later that month, Huntingdon was treated to a royal visit as HRH Princess Anne arrived in the town to officially open the new Huntingdon Fire Station and Service training centre.

More than 100 colleagues, contractors and local civic dignitaries welcomed HRH before she enjoyed a tour of the building and unveiled a plaque.

The Hunts Post: Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visiting the new Huntingdon Fire Station and Service training

DECEMBER 

One of our most popular stories of the year concerned Huntingdon food favourite Lee Wong who was retiring after almost four decades.

The Chinese takeaway owner said the hardest part about retiring is that "I'll miss my customers as they often come in for a chat and we share our troubles together."

The Hunts Post: Lee Wong with his retirement cards