Herts & Essex Observer (Dunmow & Stansted edition and Bishop's Stortford edition) have appointed freelance finance and lifestyle journalist and author, Samantha Downes to the role of regular 'Mummy Columnist' from mid November.

Downes, who is also a visiting lecturer in magazine and internet journalism at Harlow College's Anglia Ruskin University Centre will be writing about issues affecting parents in the Bishop's Stortford and Stansted area. 

She is still available for finance, lifestyle and consumer commissions and occasionally freelances for the Financial Adviser. She also writes for national newspapers and websites and women's magazines and is in the process of setting up an online digital women's magazine.

She can be reached via email and can be found tweeting @samantha_downes