News making the headlines in Ilkeston and the High Peak more than 100 years ago has been preserved after fragile copies of three newspapers were transferred to microfilm.

Copies of the Ilkeston Advertiser from 1881 to 1950, the Ilkeston Pioneer from 1853 to 1950 and the 1881 to 1937 editions of the High Peak Advertiser, New Mills and Hayfield Record have all been saved for future generations.

The microfilm of the Ilkeston papers is available from Ilkeston library and replaces existing poor quality copies. The High Peak Advertiser microfilm will be kept at New Mills library.

Derbyshire County Council’s libraries and heritage department has carried out the work as part of the national Newsplan 2000 project, funded by grants of £5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £1.3m from the newspaper industry.

This includes a substantial donation from Johnson Press, which publishes local newspapers including the Ilkeston Advertiser.

The scheme ensures that vital sources of local historical information are preserved on microfilm and made available to researchers visiting Derbyshire County Council-run libraries. It was in danger of being lost due to the deterioration of old newspaper pages.

The newspapers that have been saved include stories from bygone Januarys about: