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Reunion planned after closure of weekly paper

Journalists who worked at a weekly newspaper which was closed earlier this year are being urged to join a reunion to relive old times on the title.

The Woking News and Mail ceased publication in March after owners the Guardian Media Group were unable to find new buyers for the paper and its free sister title the Woking Review.

Now a reunion is being planned later this month for all journalists who have spent time working at the News and Mail.

It is being organised by Sara Oliver, who began her journalism career at the paper in the early 1980s, when she was known as Sara Murphy.

She said: “The News and Mail holds fond memories for a lot of us who started our careers as journalists there.

“Its closure was the end of an era and we decided it would be great to get as many editorial staff, past and present, together to say goodbye to the paper. We’re sending out an open invitation to all ex editorial staff – come and join us, we’d love to see you.

“I have some fantastic memories of my two and a half years as a junior reporter on the News and Mail and I’m looking forward to catching up with former colleagues after all these years and meeting journalists who followed in my footsteps.

“I was incredibly lucky when editor Tony L’Estrange let me loose on the paper’s music column, Soundscene. I don’t think many 19-year-olds got the chance not just to see the top bands of the day but to interview them backstage at Guildford Civic on a weekly basis!”

The papers were left out of the sale of GMG’s regional newspapers to Trinity Mirror last year and they were closed with the loss of 19 jobs.

The reunion takes place at the Cricketers pub, Horsell Birch, on 21 May from 12.30pm and for further information, contact Sara at [email protected] or 07885 551143.

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  • May 16, 2011 at 11:59 am
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    Hi

    Are present employees of the Woking News and Mail included in this invitation? The small inaccuracy in this story is that a buyer WAS found for the newspaper and the most recent edition was published on 12th May 2011.

    The Woking News and Mail has not closed, it is very much alive and kicking and owned by a local business man whose first job was at the paper. The Woking News and Mail is now back where it belongs – Woking – and being run by a team who have lived in Woking for many years and whose interests are serving the local community, not making a profit for its huge corporate owner (who closed it down once it became unprofitable in that incarnation).

    I’d also like to point out that the former owners of the Woking News and Mail publish a competing title and only stand to gain from the persistence of the story that the Woking News and Mail has closed. Therefore I’d be very grateful if you could update your article.

    Thanks
    Bruce

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