The Isle of Wight Society for the Blind recording the 1,000th talking newspaper. From left, Joy Baker and Hazel Hebditch reading the County Press and John Berry recording the sound. Picture by Peter Boam.
THE talking County Press celebrated a landmark edition last week.
The Isle of Wight Society for the Blind, which set up the talking County Press in 1975, produced its 1,000th edition on Friday last week.
The news resource was taken up by the society after Geoffrey Smith, of Niton, who was blind and physically handicapped, came up with the idea.
A team of readers was established to read the stories and Lord Louis Mountbatten, the then governor of the Island, provided an introduction for the first edition.
At the time, the County Press was published on Saturdays but the society was allowed to collect a copy on Fridays so it could be recorded in a small studio, set up inside two walk-in cupboards.
Stories used to be recorded on to cassettes but, as technology evolved, the society used CDs and today, memory sticks, played through boomboxes, are sent to listeners.
Terry Mitchell, a member of the society since 1975, who continues to manage the production team, said: "Notwith-standing the failures of equipment over the years, an edition has never been missed.
"This achievement has been through the skills and dedication of our volunteers in facilitating a weekly copy of the County Press." A number of special inclusions featured in the 1000th edition, including a reading from Noreen Taylor, who was director of the society in 1975, plus a look back at old stories.
Reporter: mattw@iwcpmail.co.uk