A former Bucks Free Press reporter has recalled her time at the paper – and how her job led to love – as the weekly celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Lindy Young, now editor of the Cannock & Rugeley Mercury, joined the High Wycombe-based paper in 1971 and remembers being taken into the town by the deputy chief reporter to pick out her own typewriter.

One of her first jobs was on the paper’s youth page, which involved calling the local Scouts, Guides and youth clubs, but this wasn’t any easy task as there were only two phones in the office.

She said: “There were two desks in the middle of the room and they had canopies. If you wanted to use the phone you had to go into one of these booths.”

But her most memorable time at the paper came after she set up a weekly pet column – which led to her meeting her future husband.

During the course of her work she met Joe Young, an RSPCA inspector, and a short time later they met when Joe had to tend to a swan with a fishing line and tackle stuck in its bill.

Lindy was enlisted to help in the rescue operation and afterwards Joe invited her on a date.

Their wedding was featured in the Free Press under the headline ‘Romance Blossoms At Pets Corner’, and the couple’s son, James, now works at the paper.

Lindy said: “It’s really nice I think. It was his own decision, he wanted to go and do journalism and her ended up working on the BFP.”