A weekly newspaper has celebrated its 160th anniversary with a special edition.

The Bucks Free Press has marked the milestone with the 64 page souvenir, the front cover of which features a collage of past fornt pages.

It tells the story of the newspaper, which covers High Wycombe and surrounding areas, from its humble beginnings in 1856 as a way of connecting a rural population.

The Newsquest-owned title recently appointed the first female editor in its history in Samantha Harman.

In an editorial for the edition, Samantha wrote: “One hundred and sixty years ago, this newspaper established connections between people living in a predominately rural area. Today, it can build connections across the world.

“Sometimes, when I’m looking back at old copies of the Bucks Free Press, I wonder what the then-editors would think if they were to step inside a modern newsroom. Could they comprehend the monumental change in working practices? The shifts in the news we read- which may well reflect the shifts in our society- and the way we read it? Journalism has changed dramatically in the last six years let alone the last 160.

“Now, we are a 24/7 operation, bringing you breaking news and live blogs and community campaigns and organising events. We do this because, despite everything that has changed since William Butler put his first edition to the press, one thing remains the same. The reason we are here. To serve the community. That’s why we all got in to local news. Because we, like you, genuinely care. It means something to us.

“I can’t begin to imagine how newspapers will change in the next 160 years. But I hope that the people who work here are just as passionate and dedicated as the small team here today. And I hope that our readers are just as involved and generous as you.”

Paying tribute to her staff, she added: “Thank you to the small, but hardworking BFP team, who have spent many, many hours – lots of it in their own time – putting this wonderful supplement together.

“Special thanks to our content editor Andrew Colley, who does a sterling job running the desk every day. And most importantly, thank you to the community- the reason we are here – for supporting us.”