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Weekly to print first colour edition after relaunch

A family-owned weekly newspaper is set to be published in full colour for the first time as part of a relaunch.

The Teesdale Mercury will also witch to being printed in compact form from Wednesday, while an online subscription service is also set to start.

The new-look paper will increase to 32-pages to make more space for community news, while a fortnightly property section will also feature.

The Barnard Castle-based title, owned by Lord Barnard and operated by his daughter Carolyn Vane, currently employs 40 staff and celebrated its 160th anniversary last year.

Editor Trevor Brookes with the new-look Teesdale Mercury

Editor Trevor Brookes with the new-look Teesdale Mercury

Editor Trevor Brookes said: “A great deal of effort has gone into the new look to retain the unique character that our loyal readers enjoy so much.

“It will now be easier to handle, contain much more content, including news and features, and the colour format will increase its vibrancy and please our advertisers.

“We are blessed at the Teesdale Mercury with a solid core readership, which appreciates our efforts in reporting news at the grassroots level.

“While many regional newspapers are suffering from a decline, our readers have remained loyal because they realise that no other media does it quite like we do.”

Added Trevor: “As well as remaining popular with our more mature members of the community, we also appeal to young families who want to know what is going on in Teesdale.”

A family-run print business will print the new colour issues and the existing printworks in Barnard Castle will be retained for commercial activity.

11 comments

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  • February 3, 2015 at 10:06 am
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    Amazing. I would never have thought there was still a paper in monochrome. By the way, the Second World War is over. Only joking,
    Good luck with new look.

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  • February 3, 2015 at 10:57 am
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    I can very clearly remember as a kid picking up what I believe was the first national colour newspaper called Today, in 1986. Believe it or not, there are actually are still a few entirely black and white retro papers out there.
    My personal favourite is down in the New Forest – a broadsheet local paper there that amazingly looks like it could have been printed at any point in the last 100 years. I think colour is definitely the only way to go though, so good luck Teesdale Mercury…

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  • February 3, 2015 at 12:57 pm
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    It’s a proper newspaper, too. Many of the big newspaper groups would do well to emulate it.

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  • February 3, 2015 at 2:43 pm
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    Delighted to hear there’s at least one family-owned weekly left in the UK. I thought such publications were extinct. Are there many, or ANY, others still in business, I wonder?

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  • February 3, 2015 at 3:10 pm
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    40 Staff !! on a 32 page weekly !!!!
    You are having a laugh!!!

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  • February 3, 2015 at 3:23 pm
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    There are actually dozens of family-owned newspapers around the UK, all still quietly making a success out of the old business model. Interestingly, most I’m aware of choose not to carry much news online, and their circulations hold up as a result. The Mercury is a case in point and one of the best examples. Here are a few others I can think of off the top of my head http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/, http://www.thirskweeklynews.com/, http://www.wokingnewsandmail.co.uk/, http://www.northlondon-today.co.uk/index.cfm, http://www.stranraer-freepress.co.uk/about.aspx and the wonderful http://www.keswickreminder.co.uk/, which has been promising “full website coming soon” for years. There are many more. A look around some of the family newspapers would make a great htfp feature.

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  • February 3, 2015 at 9:28 pm
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    Nearly retired – we wish we had 40 staff for a weekly paper! We run one newsagent and general store, one newsagent and shop, a commercial printworks and, of course, the TM newspaper. The editorial section has four hardworking reporters who take photos, sub pages, update the web and do social media, do videos and help take the paper forward by launching online subscriptions and photo sale websites etc. While everybody cuts their staff to ribbons, we reckon we’ll survive and prosper. Life is local: local ownership.

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  • February 3, 2015 at 10:46 pm
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    The Stratford-upon-Avon Herald is still going strong – and we’re looking for a News Editor at the moment (see this website). Healthy resources and healthy sales with plans for growth. Editor.

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  • February 4, 2015 at 8:19 am
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    How I wish the struggling JP weeklies could have stayed family owned as small independents. They would have kept their individual character instead of just being boring painting by numbers productins.

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  • February 4, 2015 at 8:26 am
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    Here in beautiful South West Scotland, local company DNGMedia publish four local newspapers – Annandale Observer, Annandale Herald, Moffat News and Dumfries Courier. (Annandale Observer first published 1857)

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