The air in Kelso has just taken on that sharp, distinct edge that signals the arrival of autumn. Walking the banks of the Tweed first thing in the morning, with Poppy and Maxi investigating the frost on the riverbank, it is easy to see why this landscape has inspired centuries of storytelling.

It was on one of these quiet, misty mornings that the idea for The Kelso Journal finally took shape.

Growing up in the Borders, the rhythm of life was profoundly tactile. My parents were weavers in the local mills during the height of the textile boom, and I was raised with an inherent respect for things made by hand—things that possessed weight, texture, and permanence. Yet today, most of what we read vanishes the moment we lock our screens. We consume information constantly, but we rarely keep it.

Tide Pool Publishing was founded to push back against that digital transience. The Kelso Journal is designed to be an antidote to the endless scroll. It is a four-page gazette printed on premium silk paper, accompanied by a frameable art card, sealed in a custom envelope, and delivered the old-fashioned way.

So, what is the purpose of this digital ‘Editor’s Desk’?

If the printed journal is the finished artefact, this space is the rehearsal room. Here, I will be sharing shorter observations from around the town square, behind-the-scenes glimpses into the printing and typesetting process, and perhaps a few historical tangents that couldn’t quite fit onto the physical page.

It is also a place for correspondence. Consider this a digital letters-to-the-editor desk. If an article in the printed journal sparks a memory, or if you have your own observations of Borders life to share, this is where that conversation happens.

The press is officially set, the ink is selected, and the first physical envelopes will soon be handed over to the postmaster.

Until then, welcome to the Editor’s Desk. I am delighted you are here.