A new magazine aimed at helping people trace their family history has been launched by Archant Norfolk.

Norfolk Roots is the brainchild of journalist Robin Vyrnwy-Pierce, who was part of the group's weeklies editorial team at Norwich before helping to launch the magazine and being appointed as its editor.

Robin and the rest of the team
with the new magazine

Robin said: "I have a strong interest in family history and have had for 25 years. I have also seen how it is grown over the past five to ten years.

"I approached Barry Dennis, Archant Norfolk managing director, with the idea and also pointed out that we would be able to utilise our own valuable resource - the newspaper archives in our basement with volumes going back to 1753.

"He saw the potential of the idea and a working party was set up. Each person who joined the team soon became as fascinated as I am by the subject."

9,000 copies of the first issue of the 76-page glossy were distributed to outlets throughout the county, and within hours the magazine's offices were receving call from newsagents who had sold out.

The magazine also has its own website at www.norfolkroots24.co.uk.

Robin said: "I am looking forward to continuing to edit a magazine with great potential and which offers the prospect of reader involvement and feedback in a subject which is continuing to gain interest, especially with a younger generation who have instant access to the worldwide web."

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