The Newark Advertiser has celebrated its 150th anniversary with a gala dinner attended by more than 300 people.

Among the guests was veteran journalist Kate Adie, who congratulated the paper on the milestone.

She said: "It is terrific to be celebrating 150 years of the Newark Advertiser. I am sure there will be many more grand years ahead."

Other guests who gathered to wish the paper well included current and former staff, civic leaders, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Jenny Farr, and the Bishop of Southwell, the Right Rev George Cassidy.

A toast to the health and wellbeing of the Advertiser was proposed by Newspaper Society president John Robertson.

He said: "The emphasis on local news and information is now the lifeblood of every good local newspaper.

"It is difficult to think of a publication which embraces this more than the Newark Advertiser.

"The Advertiser is a shining example of maintaining its values and staying loyal to the principles, which over the last 150 years has made it one of the country's leading weekly newspapers.

"Undoubtedly, the main reason for this is its independence, both in ownership and editorial comment."

The Advertiser's assistant managing director, Joanna Parlby, made a surprise presentation to editor-in-chief and managing director Roger Parlby, to mark his 63 years with the newspaper.

He was given a first edition of the Charles Dickens novel Hard Times, which was published in 1854.

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