This week's reflection on the news in Maldon is much more like a look towards the future...of our beautiful town centre and its multitude of shops and businesses.

I have lived here for just over four years now and I am sure that I am not alone in having initially found my attraction to the town through its very unique High Street and ALL the businesses there, providing a great mix of amazing independents and a few other town centre larger chain staples. The point is, it makes for a fantastic mix and the more you shop there, the more you get to appreciate and love the local feel of it, the friendliness - the community.

The truth is that for a lot of people a town centre is the very beating heart of a community. In Maldon, we also have another jewel in the crown with Promenade Park, so close by it almost touches the High Street. One of my first memories of Maldon involves walking down to the Prom from the town centre - and I think that was when I fell in love with the place. The day we bought our house here, we drove down from where we then lived in Thurrock and parked at the Prom. We'd set out early as an estate agent was holding our first open viewing at the house we were selling and as we pulled into the Prom my phone pinged with a message to tell us that two people had just offered more than the asking price. I cried with joy that we were coming to this town.

And so looking to the future now - which is what I said I would do at the start - I am desperately hoping that our town centre will not only pull through this year, but thrive. Here at Maldon Nub News we have decided to make sure we are doing everything we can to back our local High Street this Christmas - and through into the New Year - and we hope our readers will, too.

We are teaming up with town centre businesses to bring you details of the late-night shopping opportunities each Thursday, starting with the day we all come out of national lockdown on 3 December. We will feature special offers, inspirational shopping and gift ideas, Christmas menus and do our very best to help bring our town centre fully back to life.

So watch this space and if you are a town centre business and want to climb on board - and haven't already done so - then please get in touch by emailing the editor here.

Let's do this together and Make it a Maldon Christmas.