The Northern Echo has marked its conversion to compact format with a souvenir edition of the final broadsheet after 137 years.

The Darlington-based daily produced a 32-page supplement, featuring some of the most famous front pages from its history.

The paper switched to a compact size six days a week from Monday, having trialled the conversion on Saturdays for the past year.

The final broadsheet Echo

Editor Peter Barron said: “The Northern Echo is a paper with a particularly rich heritage and we wanted to capture that on the last day we produced a traditional broadsheet.

“The time for change has arrived and the reaction to the compact has been very encouraging but we couldn’t let the moment pass without doing something special.”

The supplement was entitled “Headlines From History” and featured pages ranging from the first edition in 1870, through the world wars, the Queen’s coronation, and the death of Princess Diana.

Peter added: “It was also an unmissable commercial opportunity and advertisers were eager to be in the supplement.

“I believe it is something readers will keep for many years to come.” Do you have a story about the regional press?
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