An editor has hailed a “proud day” in the history of his newspaper after it launched a new district edition.
The first Amersham, Chesham and Little Chalfont edition of the Bucks Free Press went on sale on Friday, with the move being “greatly received” by new readers.
Newsquest announced last month it would be launching the new edition after rival publisher Reach plc confirmed it was closing the Buckinghamshire Advertiser and Examiner.
The Advertiser and Examiner was published as two separate editions of the same paper, with the former covering areas including Beaconsfield, The Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross, while the latter primarily focused on Amersham and Chesham.
In a message to readers in the first issue of the new edition, editor Andrew Colley said: “This is a proud day in the 162-year history of the Bucks Free Press. The launch of our new Amersham, Chesham and Little Chalfont edition has been greatly received by residents across the area.
“Hitting newsstands this morning, we hope you will find it to be the perfect digest of news, politics, health, education, crime, entertainment, opinions, nostalgia, property, motors and sport.
“In the current climate, the job of a journalist is now more important than ever before. Our team will be your biggest cheerleader and, in times of need, a shoulder to cry on. Through the good times and bad we will always be there and continue to hold authorities to account on your behalf.
“It’s important this public service is supported by residents to see it continued for years to come, and I’m hopeful the launch of our new newspaper will see the start of a fantastic relationship.
“Finally, I would like to thank our hard-working award-winning Bucks Free Press team – without them, this brand-new newspaper would not be possible.”
This news item makes bitter sweet reading in Bucks. Too very old (well over 100 years) papers – the Buckinghamshire Advertiser and the Bucks Herald – which once propsered in this affluent area of the Home Counties are now decesased. Both papers were once vibrant with thorough reporting of their patches and they had some scribes who went to degrees of stardom in the natikonal media.
Once upon a time nearly household in Am
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OOPS, my finger hit the “send” button before correcting and finishing my previous contribution. I try again.
This report makes bitter-sweet reading in Bucks. Too very old (well over 100 years) papers – the Buckinghamshire Advertiser and the Bucks Herald – which once prospered in this affluent area of the Home Counties are now just closed. Both papers were once vibrant with thorough reporting of their patches and had some scribes who went to degrees of stardom in the national media.
Once upon a time nearly every household in Amersham and Chesham bought one of those papers. Then for all the usual reasons they became thinner with fewer ads and staff and readers stopped buying.
Down the road in High Wycombe the equally old Bucks Free Press (where Terry Pratchett once scribed) had in its golden years a weekly circulation of more than 30,000 but now it’s less than 11,000. The Free Press now has launched this edition for Amersham and Chesham but I suspect staffing and ad revenue is thin. We should all wish this edition good luck but brace ourselves for it to be like pushing treacle up a hill if it’s to notch up a decent circulation. They had a similar edition more than ten years ago but it lasted not long. Oh, and it’s owned by Newsquest.
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Indeed bittersweet, Geronimo, as someone who once worked on the Advertiser. However, although the Free Press was once our biggest rival, I wish it well. Better Newsquest than no-one at all. Well done, editor Andrew Colley.
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