JOURNALIST Gillian Reynolds will headline the borough's first Woman of the Year awards ceremony.

Ms Reynolds, a radio critic for the Daily Telegraph for 22 years, will be the guest speaker at the Elizabethan Suite, Bury, on October 1.

Having been a regular broadcaster on radio and TV, she is well equipped to talk about her experiences in the media and in particular her role as a woman in the tough world of journalism.

Being a fellow female journalist, I was intrigued to talk to her about her work and her forthcoming visit to Bury.

Ms Reynolds is originally from Liverpool and confessed she still has strong ties to the region.

"My oldest son is still there so I still have connections with the north," she said.

She added that she was looking forward to coming to Bury. Her October visit will not be her first, but she admitted that it has been a long time since she was last here.

"It will be good to come back and see how Bury has changed. I was brought up in a market town so it will be good to return to my roots in an indirect way." Ms Reynolds is now based in London where she is involved in a number of other projects apart from her newspaper writing. She broadcasts regularly on TV and radio.

Her credentials include an English degree from Oxford University and a post-graduate qualification from Mount Holyoke College in America.

She is also a fellow of the Radio Academy, the Royal Television Society and the Royal Society of Arts.

Despite her impressive accolades, she is still modest about her achievements.

"Every experience in life is important, no matter what it is. We all have buried treasures and it is important that we do not forget that," she said.

Ms Reynolds admitted that she has not decided what she will talk about when she visits Bury but emphasised the importance of recognising the role of women in society and the work they do.

"I think it is very important to have this award. So many women do so much good work but rarely get any recognition, which is why I think it is vital we can acknowledge them in some way."

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