My name is Sarah Johnson, and I am a journalist. I lived most of my life in London but recently moved back to my hometown Stroud.
I was born and raised in Stroud, but I moved to Oxford when I went to college. I loved Oxford and I loved my work as a journalist in London, but I always missed my hometown. Since the first time my father took me to a theatre play for children in the Sub Rooms, I developed a passion for music and art. So, when I took that job in London, I always knew that at some point in my life I would want to come back.
Now that I’m retired, I can live wherever I want and I returned to Stroud, but I can’t forget that I am a journalist, so I decided to do something about it.
The return
As I said, I came back to Stroud soon after I retired and now, I live in what was my parents’ house. I was pleased to find out that the Sub Rooms were still in hands of the public and those regular events that I loved so much were still taking place here.
When I thought about combining my passion for art, my love for my hometown and my commitment as a journalist I decided to start this blog. The idea was to show the essence of the Sub Rooms and the wonders of Stroud and the area.
The vision
This is how subscriptionrooms.org.uk was born. Although it started as a local blog, the concept soon grew beyond its original concept. I found out my blog was a source of inspiration for artists, journalists, and the community in general.
I’m very proud of what I achieved but I couldn’t have done it without a reliable team of writers and editors who help me get the information right and nicely written. This includes topics like history, types of events, attractions in the area, artists, architecture, news, etc.
The mission
Initially, I wanted the blog to be only about the Sub Rooms but soon I understood that this place is more than just a building: you can’t separate this cultural site from its historical and natural background.
We have followers not only from the area but also from all over the UK. Also, it’s been nice to find out that some people follow me from abroad. Actually, this is not surprising as our town is quite picturesque with its rich past related to the wool industry and its natural wonders. This, of course, includes the alluring pedestrian way known as the Cotswold.
All in all, our mission is to spread our local culture so that both residents and tourists can enjoy it more. I hope that you enjoy reading this blog just as much as I enjoy writing it. See you in the next post!