The Buckingham Advertiser & Review Group has marked its 150th birthday with a special 16-page supplement.

It is part of a host of celebrations that have been taking place as staff and readers take a trip back in time.

Throughout its long history, issues covered by the Advertiser and Review have included wars, floods and deaths of monarchs.

In February a redesign - giving the three-edition paper a brighter look - kicked off a series of special events to mark the 150th anniversary milestone.

A three-week series chronicling the history of the paper followed, featuring interviews with past employees and other staff who helped shape the paper.

And the celebrations continued with an exhibition at Buckingham's Old Gaol Museum.

The special commemorative supplement carried reproductions of news pages from over the years, together with a tribute from editor Rob Gibbard.

Rob said: "It's with great pride that we look back on 150 years of serving our community.

"In those 150 years, there's been immense technological change, tragic war, political upheaval, social and economic change, and all reflected within the pages of the newspaper, either in story form or through the advertising which mirrors life of the time.

"I feel humbled when I look at the shelves and shelves of our previous copies at our office. Lift out one of those bound volumes and its like lifting out a small slice of history."

The Advertiser was launched by Buckingham postmaster William Stallworthy in 1853 with a print run of 1,000 copies.

It was soon serving communities in Bucks, Oxon, Northants and Beds, but the front page was not given over to adverts until its 97th year when news appeared for the first time.

There were several name changes along the way until its present title of Advertiser and Review was adopted in 1984.

The Johnston Press-owned title now incorporates three editions - the paid-for Buckingham & Winslow and Brackley & Towcester Advertisers and the free distributed Bicester Review.

Rob said: "A newspaper is, of course, a business and we're part of a highly successful company dedicated to highly-successful local newspapers, but a newspaper is much, much more than that.

"It embodies its community; it is part of it, reflecting it, representing it. In many ways, it is really owned by the people who fill its pages with stories and advertising.

"Today's Advertiser and Review - with its desktop publishing, digital photography, Internet site, state of the art printing presses and 22,000 distribution - has a very bright future.

"I aim to ensure that, in many years to come, and with the continued support of our readers, my successors can look back on past years with as much pride."

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