The Harborough Mail is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and has published a special supplement looking back at the newspaper's history.

The 12-page pull-out features some of the biggest stories to have appeared in the Mail over the years and looks at how technological developments have transformed the paper's operations.

Six former editors have also shared their memories of how they played a part in shaping the Mail.

Past and present editors Gordon Birch, Tor Clark, MD John Broom, Carol Randall, Brian Dodds and John Dilley, at the launch of the Mail's "150th" exhibition.

Current editor Brian Dodds said: "We've been working on it since the start of the year.

"We've chased down editors from all over the country and had them send in memories and interesting tales about how the Mail has changed, developed and got involved in the community over the years."

Carol Randall, who was appointed as the Mail's only female editor in 1991, recalled a gas leak at the newspaper's office which forced an evacuation.

She said the news team still managed to produce copy in a back room of a local hotel while the advertising staff worked from home.

Clive Brown took the editor's chair in 1981 and was charged with the task of turning the Mail's fortunes around in just six weeks.

He ended up spending three years with the paper as it became profitable again and said it was vital for the Mail to focus on the community it served.

He said: "Newspapers should always be about the community and cannot afford to stand back and relax. They need to get involved, contribute and support all sorts of initiatives in the community. This is true for all newspapers and was terribly important in Harborough."

The supplement is one of a number of ways in which the Mail is celebrating its anniversary throughout the year.

A six-month exhibition on the paper's history is currently being held in the Harborough Museum and an appeal to raise £8,000 for a specially converted vehicle to take terminally-ill children on sporting days out reached its target after three months.

Brian said another fundraising campaign is being planned for the second half of the year - as well as a staff party to celebrate the milestone.

Brian said: "We've had a heartening response from readers. People have been stopping us in the streets congratulating us and I gather there has been a lot of interest at the museum."

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