The Newbury Weekly News is this week celebrating being at the heart of the community for 140 years.

The family-owned newspaper has published news and advertising relating to Newbury and its surrounding area since 1867.

While much has changed in printing and publishing terms since the days when the first issues hit the streets, the paper has remained true to its aims – being local in focus and serving the community where it is produced.

First edition

Company chairman Jeremy Willis said: “I sometimes wonder how my great-great grandfather would feel if he knew that the Newbury Weekly News was still being published 140 years later and by his descendants.

“He certainly would struggle to cope with the computer age, the publishing and sales methods and the size of our press.

“Where he would be proud is that the newspaper today still carries his passion of being at the heart of the area’s community and still highly protecting its independence.”

The newsroom today

From its early beginnings, the newspaper has grown to be the flagship publication in a group of publications both in print and online now produced by Newbury Weekly News (Printers) Limited.

It is one of a dwindling number of publishing and printing companies in the UK which operates independent of any larger organisation and which is owned by direct descendants of the same family which founded the newspaper.

The newspaper was named by The Newspaper Society as the Best Paid-For Weekly Newspaper in the UK in 2006, and subsequently its daily news website newburytoday.co.uk was voted Best Website Produced by a Weekly Newspaper.

To celebrate the milestone, the Newbury Weekly News will be holding promotional events in Newbury town centre during anniversary week.