The Hucknall Dispatch has celebrated its centenary with a family gala day in the town market place.

More than 500 readers and advertisers mingled with local celebrities and members of Dispatch staff, who handed out mementos, prizes and the all-important birthday cake.

Editor Richard Silverwood turned his hand to karaoke as he led the crowd in a rendition of 'Happy Birthday'.

He said: "One hundred years on, the paper Henry Morley founded is still going strong.

"For a truly local company to clock up 100 years of business is a remarkable achievement, especially in the competitive world of media, which is advancing so quickly thanks to new technology."

He paid tribute to the part played in that success by the Hucknall public and said: "Our partnership has been so strong that the paper has been able to act as the eyes, the ears and the voice of Hucknall and district throughout its 100 years."

And he also paid tribute to chief reporter Denis Robinson, who has been with the paper for 50 years.

The Hucknall and Bulwell Dispatch is read by more than 24,000 readers every week and covers an area bordering Nottingham to the south and Mansfield to the north.

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