The Wakefield Express is planning a number of special events to mark its 150th anniversary next month.

Staff are busy producing special supplements to be included in the paper, such as an insight into how the paper is produced, a special feature on Wakefield’s history and claims to fame and testimonials from well-known community figures who will be giving their views on the paper.

The Express is also running a special scheme for all babies born in Wakefield in March where they will each be given a bank account with a starting amount of £20.

Staff to celebrate

The celebrations will also include the paper taking 12 disabled children on a day trip to Scarborough, a reproduction of the first edition of the paper, an anniversary gala dinner with 250 special guests and a party for all of the staff.

All members of staff will also receive a gift and there will be a photograph of everyone who works for the paper.

A competition is also being launched to allow someone to win a chance to visit Wakefield – the one on the east coast of America.

There may also be a family open day where people from the Wakefield area will get the chance to tour the paper and see how it is produced.

The five-edition Wakefield Express is the flagship newspaper of the Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group and was first published in March 1852.

The cover price was four-and-a-half old pence and the broadsheet editions were created at Southgate, from where the company is still based.

Today, the newspaper is part of the Johnston Press group and sister titles include the Pontefract and Castleford Express, Morley Advertiser, Selby Times and Selby Chronicle, as well as the Leeds Express.