First of all, I want to say thank you to Neo for his encomium; it was wonderful and characteristic of him to remember  the day, and to say such kind things.

It is, indeed, two years since AATW opened its gates, and back then I could not have imagined I would still be doing the blog, or that anyone would be reading it, let alone that a dozen people would be writing posts here; there’s all sorts of other things I couldn’t have imagined back then. Surveying that time reminds me how little one cane see even into one’s own future – as well as what a good thing that it. If I had, by some accident, been able to foresee what would happen, I am sure I should have lost courage and given up.

i don’t want to sound like Oscar night, but I want to thank Chalcedon and Geoffrey for their many posts, as well as my other contributors. I have to thank my dearest friend Neo, for his posts, his comments and his constant friendship, as well as my dear friend Servus Fidelis, who has been here almost from the start. David Monier-Williams, to whom we owe some wonderful homilies, has been here from the start, as has Bruvver Eccles and Frere Rabit, who helped me, as did others, when I most needed it; to them and the ‘gallant click’, my thanks.I know that some find Bosco and quivideruntoculi, strong meat, but I think they represent important voices in Christianity which need to be heard. Of course, being me, I find what Rob and Nicholas write, more nourishing, but it is easy, and would be very easy indeed for me, simply to run a blog where there is no friction; but that would not represent anything save a solipsism located outside the messy and broken world we inhabit.

AATW now has nearly 600 followers and 180k views for its 1180 posts, with nearly 50k comments, and that is why it continues, because of you and all the other readers.

My own life has changed in so many ways, and is about to change again as I return to teaching. Across time my own contribution here has become less, and I can’t see it increasing again any time soon, but there are others who have more than made up for that. Some of my fellow Anglicans, Struans and Malcolm, have had other calls on their time, but their posts are still read every day, and their contribution to AATW continues to be appreciated. We’re very fortunate to have Carl’s cartoons, which add something very special to the mix here.

The comments boxes here have always been something special, and no one who reads them can but be struck by the quality of some of the comments. This place exists to encourage dialogue, and unlike some dioceses and newspapers, genuinely believes in allowing Christians of all churches (and none) a space where they can speak as they find. This can be uncomfortable for those who need the security of having their own narrow view reflected back to them, as well as for those of us who like to go on a lot about love and peace; but that’s the real world, and even a blog has to live in it from time to time.

So my thanks are to all of you who read and write here – and I am proud to be the Chatelaine of this Watchtower.