Legend of property journalism quits as editor of The Times’ Bricks & Mortar

One of the legends of property journalism, Anne Ashworth, has left her position as editor of The Times’ highly regarded Bricks & Mortar supplement.

In her final edition over the weekend, Ashworth said her 14 years in charge of the supplement had been a pleasure.

She dedicated her last editorial to urging people not to be NIMBYs but instead be SLIMBYs - advocates of Something Logical In My Back Yard, thus allowing sensible development nearby.

Tributes to Ashworth’s work came from many industry figures including Savills’ head of research who took to Twitter to call her “a legend.”  Ed Mead, veteran former agent and head of outsourced viewing service Viewber, wrote: “After so many awards won you'll leave a big hole.”

Tributes were left by agent-turned-property-PR Russell Quirk, buying agency Black Brick, Damian Wild - editor-in-chief and publisher of Estates Gazette - plus the editors of rival property supplements, and many other industry figures.

Estate Agent Today editor Graham Norwood described her on social media as being “the property journalist’s property journalist” and “the one the industry looked up to.”

Earlier this year Ashworth was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Property Press Awards.

Ashworth has left The Times where, in addition to being chief of the property supplement, she was responsible for the Money section and was an assistant editor of the paper as a whole.