TODAY sees the 700th issue of White Horse News and to celebrate we have produced a special eight page commemorative feature covering all the big news stories from the last 28+ years.
The paper – one of only a handful of independent family-owned newspapers left in the country – was set up in 1991 and was bought the following year by Ian and Susan Drew who still run the paper today.
Over 10,000 copies are distributed each fortnight to the whole of Westbury and all the surrounding villages.
“The White Horse News would not be running today without the fantastic support of our loyal band of advertisers (whose revenue pays for the newspaper) and the support of organisations, groups and individuals in Westbury and the surrounding villages,” said Ian and Susan. “We are really grateful to you all for your tremendous support.
“To commemorate our 700th edition, we have produced a round-up of just some of the news that hit the front pages over the years which you can find in an eight-page feature in the paper this week.
“We hope you enjoy reading your local newspaper and that you will continue to support us for many years to come.”
Mayor of Westbury, cllr Mike Sutton said, “I would like to congratulate the White Horse News on the occasion of the 700th edition and to say that they have been a valuable asset to the community in providing news and information during that period.
“Westbury is particularly grateful because during periods when the town has not been served well by other bodies, the WHN has always treated the town with the utmost fairness and has been a very effective vehicle for the council and residents to express their views and ideas in a positive manner. Like many others I look forward to the next 700 issues.”
White Horse News has sister free newspapers in Melksham (Melksham Independent News) and Frome (Frome Times), which are all published fortnightly. The three newspapers come under the umbrella of Wiltshire Publications Ltd, which is entirely independent of other newspaper groups. All the staff are local people.
“We are proud that we are one of the few independent family-owned newspapers left in the country,” added Ian and Susan. “It’s quite a milestone reaching 700 issues. It’s rare these days for an independent paper to survive – most papers are now owned by large national and even international companies. Our success is a tribute to the dedication of our team here and the fantastic support we get from the people and businesses of Westbury. We’d like to thank all the businesses who have supported us over the years; without them there would be no paper.”
For our 700th issue special feature click on the link to our digital edition below:
