Tameside Reporter
Encyclopedia
The Tameside Reporter is a locally based weekly newspaper which serves primarily the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. It is one of very few remaining independently owned newspapers in the country and has been existed in the area since 1855. The group also distributes the free weekly newspaper, the Ashton Reporter and produces the Glossop Chronicle which serves the Glossopdale region.
The original 1855 publication name was the Ashton Weekly Reporter, subtitled the Stalybridge and District Chronicle. It cost three half pennies and covered news primarily from Ashton, Stalybridge, Mossley, Dukinfield, Droylsden, Hooley Hill, Denton, and Hyde. Reporting between towns was performed on foot or by horse and carriage, making it a lengthy process. The installation of an all important telegraph station later improved the situation. April 1858, brought a name change for the newspaper, as the readership in Stalybridge grew. The original Ashton Weekly Reporter with its circulation of 5,000 became the Ashton and Stalybridge Reporter. On September 24, 1859, 31-year-old William Hobson died of a kidney disorder and Edward Hobson became more involved in the running of the Ashton and Stalybridge Reporter, with the continued support of his surviving son.
By 1886, circulation had exceeded 9,000. The rise in numbers was met by another name change, dropping Stalybridge from the title to become the Ashton Reporter. The following year, after a lifelong involvement in the industry, Edward Hobson snr died aged 66. Edward jnr was the next to take the helm, aided by 19-year-old John Andrew, who had worked his way up from errand boy to a respected journalist at the paper. Edward’s sister Martha was also involved, helping out as book keeper-cum-cashier. In what was the first of many subsequent ‘Reporter Romances’ Martha and John Andrew’s relationship blossomed and they were later married. The Evening Reporter was introduced in 1876 and proved a success. This saw Hobson and Andrew moving from the restricted Stamford Street premises. Andrew commissioned architects John Eaton and Son to design plans for a new Reporter office and contractors J. Barton and Son built the new premises on a site overlooking Ashton Market Ground on Warrington Street. Even with Hobson’s retirement the newspaper business boomed and the company bought six new Linotype machines to replace the out-dated presses in the 1880s. Type was then set up as a page in wooden frames, from which moulds of papier-mâché were made. These were used to make stereotype plates, which were lowered by hoist to the ground floor. Here they were fitted to the ‘Victory’ rotary presses ready for printing.
Andrews died in 1906 leaving his two sons, Edward and William, to take control of the Reporter and one of the brothers’ first moves was to buy a new three-deck Foster press. In 1914, coinciding with the outbreak of World War I, the Evening Reporter ceased publication after issuing 8,104 editions. On November 4, 1919, the flags on the Reporter office roof and Ashton Town Hall flew at half-mast to mark the death of Edward Andrew. Edward’s brother William was now left in charge of the business. News in the paper now became more focused on local stories.
In 1925, the Reporter became a limited company and with the paper’s continuing success and demand for bigger issues, the Foster press was enlarged, allowing for a 16-page edition to be printed. In 1934 the Reporter acquired the North Cheshire Herald, merging it with their Hyde Reporter. Then in 1937 the group took on The Glossop Chronicle. Reporter owners were put to the test in 1959 when they were faced with a printers’ strike. Six emergency editions were produced, with stories set up on a normal typewriter and the end product printed on a duplicator. Inevitably, the amount of papers produced was well below the usual 92,000 print run.
Gerald Andrew became managing director at the end of 1961, after the death of his uncle William Andrew. At this time circulation stood at around 90,000, having risen from more than 50,000 before the war. Andrew revolutionised the paper in 1962 when news appeared on the front page for the first time (previously only advertisements were present on the front page). In October 1966 the Reporter moved out of Warrington Street to an old cotton mill on Whitelands Road, Ashton, where a new high-speed Crabtree ‘Viscount’ rotary press was installed, allowing colour printing.
After spending years fighting off advances from United Newspapers, who were keen to buy the Reporter Group, Andrew finally conceded in February 1980. The change of ownership brought about more dramatic changes. The now Ashton Weekly Newspapers Ltd closed its Whitelands Road premises and relocated to Park House, on Acres Lane, Stalybridge. The number of titles in the group was reduced to eight from 13. The Audenshaw Reporter merged with the Ashton Reporter, the Dukinfield edition with the Stalybridge Reporter, while both Bredbury and Romiley and the Marple editions combined with the North Cheshire Herald. Initially the High Peak Reporter was merged with the Glossop Chronicle, but a few months later it was reinstated. The Reporter appeared for the first time in tabloid form on March 7, 1986. The Co-operative Press of Manchester did the typesetting, while printing was carried out by Central Lancashire printers at Wigan. By 1987, editorial content of the Reporter was changed to direct input, with Lockie Press at Golbourne composing.
United Newspapers received an offer for Ashton Weekly Newspapers in August 1997 and decided to accept. On August 16 the newly formed company Reporter and Chronicle Newspapers Ltd legally took control of Ashton Weekly Newspapers. Heading the new firm were Martin Lusby and Barrie Holden, supported by backers 3i and the Royal Bank of Scotland. The pair, both vastly experienced newspapermen, previously held top level positions with EMAP Newspapers. Martin Lusby was installed as chairman, while Barrie Holden was managing director.
Changes to the paper were almost instant with the number of titles reduced from eight to 2 – the Tameside Reporter and Glossop Chronicle. The emphasis was placed firmly on community reporting, with news from churches, schools and other organisations, along with accounts of local weddings and anniversaries. Full colour was introduced. Today, all of the Reporter’s content – news and adverts – is produced using the on screen page layout techniques of the Apple Macintosh QuarkXpress system. In 2007 the number of titles was increased once again with the re-introduction of the Ashton Reporter, this time a free newspaper covering the Ashton area.
1859-1867 - Edward Hobson Snr
1867-1881 - Edward Hobson Jnr
1881-1906 - John Andrew/Nathan Stewart
1906-1919 - Edward Hobson Andrew
1919-1930 - Edward Bryson
1930-1952 - John Middlehurst
1952-1974 - David Charles Newham Jones
1974-1978 - Bill Williamson
1978-1993 - Duncan Alan Williamson
1993-1997 - Frank Whalley
Aug-Nov 1997 - Nigel Skinner
1997-1999 - Catherine Bellis
1999-2000 - Hamish McGregor
2000–present - Nigel Skinner
The original 1855 publication name was the Ashton Weekly Reporter, subtitled the Stalybridge and District Chronicle. It cost three half pennies and covered news primarily from Ashton, Stalybridge, Mossley, Dukinfield, Droylsden, Hooley Hill, Denton, and Hyde. Reporting between towns was performed on foot or by horse and carriage, making it a lengthy process. The installation of an all important telegraph station later improved the situation. April 1858, brought a name change for the newspaper, as the readership in Stalybridge grew. The original Ashton Weekly Reporter with its circulation of 5,000 became the Ashton and Stalybridge Reporter. On September 24, 1859, 31-year-old William Hobson died of a kidney disorder and Edward Hobson became more involved in the running of the Ashton and Stalybridge Reporter, with the continued support of his surviving son.
By 1886, circulation had exceeded 9,000. The rise in numbers was met by another name change, dropping Stalybridge from the title to become the Ashton Reporter. The following year, after a lifelong involvement in the industry, Edward Hobson snr died aged 66. Edward jnr was the next to take the helm, aided by 19-year-old John Andrew, who had worked his way up from errand boy to a respected journalist at the paper. Edward’s sister Martha was also involved, helping out as book keeper-cum-cashier. In what was the first of many subsequent ‘Reporter Romances’ Martha and John Andrew’s relationship blossomed and they were later married. The Evening Reporter was introduced in 1876 and proved a success. This saw Hobson and Andrew moving from the restricted Stamford Street premises. Andrew commissioned architects John Eaton and Son to design plans for a new Reporter office and contractors J. Barton and Son built the new premises on a site overlooking Ashton Market Ground on Warrington Street. Even with Hobson’s retirement the newspaper business boomed and the company bought six new Linotype machines to replace the out-dated presses in the 1880s. Type was then set up as a page in wooden frames, from which moulds of papier-mâché were made. These were used to make stereotype plates, which were lowered by hoist to the ground floor. Here they were fitted to the ‘Victory’ rotary presses ready for printing.
Andrews died in 1906 leaving his two sons, Edward and William, to take control of the Reporter and one of the brothers’ first moves was to buy a new three-deck Foster press. In 1914, coinciding with the outbreak of World War I, the Evening Reporter ceased publication after issuing 8,104 editions. On November 4, 1919, the flags on the Reporter office roof and Ashton Town Hall flew at half-mast to mark the death of Edward Andrew. Edward’s brother William was now left in charge of the business. News in the paper now became more focused on local stories.
In 1925, the Reporter became a limited company and with the paper’s continuing success and demand for bigger issues, the Foster press was enlarged, allowing for a 16-page edition to be printed. In 1934 the Reporter acquired the North Cheshire Herald, merging it with their Hyde Reporter. Then in 1937 the group took on The Glossop Chronicle. Reporter owners were put to the test in 1959 when they were faced with a printers’ strike. Six emergency editions were produced, with stories set up on a normal typewriter and the end product printed on a duplicator. Inevitably, the amount of papers produced was well below the usual 92,000 print run.
Gerald Andrew became managing director at the end of 1961, after the death of his uncle William Andrew. At this time circulation stood at around 90,000, having risen from more than 50,000 before the war. Andrew revolutionised the paper in 1962 when news appeared on the front page for the first time (previously only advertisements were present on the front page). In October 1966 the Reporter moved out of Warrington Street to an old cotton mill on Whitelands Road, Ashton, where a new high-speed Crabtree ‘Viscount’ rotary press was installed, allowing colour printing.
After spending years fighting off advances from United Newspapers, who were keen to buy the Reporter Group, Andrew finally conceded in February 1980. The change of ownership brought about more dramatic changes. The now Ashton Weekly Newspapers Ltd closed its Whitelands Road premises and relocated to Park House, on Acres Lane, Stalybridge. The number of titles in the group was reduced to eight from 13. The Audenshaw Reporter merged with the Ashton Reporter, the Dukinfield edition with the Stalybridge Reporter, while both Bredbury and Romiley and the Marple editions combined with the North Cheshire Herald. Initially the High Peak Reporter was merged with the Glossop Chronicle, but a few months later it was reinstated. The Reporter appeared for the first time in tabloid form on March 7, 1986. The Co-operative Press of Manchester did the typesetting, while printing was carried out by Central Lancashire printers at Wigan. By 1987, editorial content of the Reporter was changed to direct input, with Lockie Press at Golbourne composing.
United Newspapers received an offer for Ashton Weekly Newspapers in August 1997 and decided to accept. On August 16 the newly formed company Reporter and Chronicle Newspapers Ltd legally took control of Ashton Weekly Newspapers. Heading the new firm were Martin Lusby and Barrie Holden, supported by backers 3i and the Royal Bank of Scotland. The pair, both vastly experienced newspapermen, previously held top level positions with EMAP Newspapers. Martin Lusby was installed as chairman, while Barrie Holden was managing director.
Changes to the paper were almost instant with the number of titles reduced from eight to 2 – the Tameside Reporter and Glossop Chronicle. The emphasis was placed firmly on community reporting, with news from churches, schools and other organisations, along with accounts of local weddings and anniversaries. Full colour was introduced. Today, all of the Reporter’s content – news and adverts – is produced using the on screen page layout techniques of the Apple Macintosh QuarkXpress system. In 2007 the number of titles was increased once again with the re-introduction of the Ashton Reporter, this time a free newspaper covering the Ashton area.
Editor History
1855-1859 - William Hobson1859-1867 - Edward Hobson Snr
1867-1881 - Edward Hobson Jnr
1881-1906 - John Andrew/Nathan Stewart
1906-1919 - Edward Hobson Andrew
1919-1930 - Edward Bryson
1930-1952 - John Middlehurst
1952-1974 - David Charles Newham Jones
1974-1978 - Bill Williamson
1978-1993 - Duncan Alan Williamson
1993-1997 - Frank Whalley
Aug-Nov 1997 - Nigel Skinner
1997-1999 - Catherine Bellis
1999-2000 - Hamish McGregor
2000–present - Nigel Skinner