Journalists who worked at a now-defunct regional daily are set to meet to celebrate 50 years since the newspaper was launched.

Former colleagues who worked on the Evening Mail, in Slough, are being urged to get in touch ahead of the reunion next month.

The Evening Mail first hit the newsstands on 19 May 1969, and ran for 13 years before closing in May 1982.

Originally launched by Westminster Press – now part of Newsquest – it eventually became a partnership between WP and Thomson Regional Newspapers.

Reunion organisers Peter Brown and Rick Evans said: “It did really well by scooping up about 20 industry awards – including five design awards – but circulation never really reached the sort of levels that the other new evenings were achieving and it was hit badly by the late 1970s recession. It closed down in May 1982.

“Some of the journalists who came to work on the Mail stayed on. They made the Thames Valley their home and they’d like to contact anyone who worked on the paper over its 13-year life and who would like to meet up on 4 June for a pint or two in a Windsor pub. Join us to remember some good times on the Evening Mail from 1969 to 1982.”

The Evening Mail was one of a string of new evening titles surrounding London which were launched by WP and TRN in the 1960s, of which only one, the Basildon-based Echo, still survives today.

Other titles that have since fallen by the wayside include the Hemel Hempstead-based Evening Post-Echo, the Reading Evening Post and the Watford Evening Echo.

Those interested in attending the reunion can contact Peter by email at [email protected], or Rick at [email protected].