Farewell and all the best, Pete!

SHETLAND News this week bids a fond farewell to long-serving journalist and co-partner Pete Bevington, who has stepped aside for family reasons.

Pete, 56, moved to Shetland in 1988 having worked in radio and print media in London and South Yorkshire.

He initially worked for The Shetland Times and has since contributed to the pages and airwaves of BBC Radio Shetland, The Shetland Post and, for the past 16 years, Shetland News. He has been an NUJ member throughout his career. 

Shetland News partner Hans Marter, who has enjoyed a close working relationship with Pete for the best part of two decades, said he would be a big loss to the organisation.

Hans said: “Pete has always been a meticulous journalist capable of turning his hand to a full range of reporting, whether it be complicated political stories or a more straightforward features on community events.

“We are sorry that Pete is leaving the organisation after all these years, but we offer him and his family the very best wishes for the future.”

Recent recruit Chris Cope will be increasing his hours in order to maintain the website’s level of output alongside reporter Neil Riddell and IT man Clement Duncan.

Pete says he has always viewed the self-financing website as operating “at the cutting edge of local reporting, well ahead of the game”.

He expressed his hope that the business would be successful in exploring new ways of funding to finance growth as digital technology continues to move apace.

“I can see a clear way forward for the organisation to grow in the extremely capable hands of Hans, Neil, Chris and Clement,” he added.

Pete will continue to run the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary together with his wife Jan.