Return to Beacon Homepage

A History of the Painswick Beacon

The Painswick Beacon came about as a result of a suggestion from Helen Horton, who at the time, was living in Friday Street. Helen had noted that a number of villages similar to Painswick had produced their own local newspaper. She took soundings to see if there was support for the idea and, finding that there was, called a small group together to discuss how the newspaper might be progressed. After several meetings a committee was formed with the following member/appointments:-

Editors: Helen Horton and Terry Parker

Hon Treasurer: John Polhill

Advertising: David Gunton

Village Diary: Edwina Buttrey

Clubs & Organisations: Graeme Horton

Sports: Lynn Steer

Bits and Pieces: Rachel Taylor

Production facilities: Peter Wigens

Typing: Sylvia Steer

Paste up: Lois Wigens

Distribution: Chris Jones

One of the first decisions was what name to give the newspaper. The Painswick Beacon was the unanimous choice and the only problem over the years has been the occasional confusion with the hill that stands above the village.

The electronic system called Desk Top Publishing was light years away in 1977 and the Beacon would not have been possible without the professional help of Lois and Peter Wigens who gave their time voluntarily. Lois worked long hours to produce the artwork which was achieved by sticking the printed columns onto paper which had the column margins printed in blue because that colour was invisible to the printer’s camera. Sylvia did not have the benefit of an electronic typewriter and so a manual had to be used. Each section heading was carefully created using Lettraset adhesive letters.

One of the many innovations over the years was the purchase of a Kroy machine which enabled the words to be produced on a ribbon. A major influence on the newspaper’s presentation was the purchase of a golf ball electronic typewriter. Distribution was to prove a problem and the committee was very grateful to the milkmen and newspaper deliverers who took the Beacon to a number of local addresses. As the newspaper became established, a team of distributors was set up and copies of the Beacon were taken to each of the 900 homes in the village. The membership of the team has, not surprisingly, changed over the years but the efficiency of the team in getting the copies out in a very timely manner has been unchanged. The effectiveness of the distribution system has been a major factor in the Beacon’s continuing existence.

The major hurdle the committee faced at the outset was how to fund the newspaper, it having been agreed that the Beacon should be free to every household in the village. The committee need not have worried as no less than 45 local businesses sponsored the early editions and a number of donations were received from residents. Another problem was obtaining reports and articles from the various organisations. All this seems a far cry from today with some 650 subscribers and a number of businesses on the waiting list for advertising space. The size of the Beacon has increased from 4 pages in 1978 to editions in excess of 20 pages and, even at this size, it is not always possible to include every item. The income from subscribers’ contributions and advertising is therefore essential and the Beacon committee is especially grateful for the support it receives.

The Beacon has seen many changes in these 25 years and the present committee wishes to acknowledge the considerable contribution made by those local residents who have assisted in the newspaper’s production during that time. There can be no doubt about the commitment of Alan Bamber who, first with responsibility for the Beacon’s production, and then as editor/production chief took the newspaper through a period of major change. Most significantly, the Beacon is now produced electronically with copy being sent via email between the committee members. Desk Top Publishing means that the typed material can be fed directly into the Beacon’s draft newspaper pages that are stored within a personal computer. The system enables the text to be put into column widths automatically and for it to be moved to accommodate further text as necessary. Digital photography also enables photographs to be fed into the pages directly.

There have been other changes outside of the Beacon’s production responsibilities. In the 70s the Beacon committee members were to be heard singing carols for charity around the villages streets. This no longer happens but in recent times the Beacon’s annual quiz has proved to be a popular event. Another innovation has been the production of an annual directory of businesses, services, clubs, societies and other organisations. So here we are at our Silver Jubilee. The majority of the original committee members are still living in the area. They will, like us, probably be surprised that 25 years on and 301 editions later, the Beacon is still with us.

With your support we hope The Beacon will continue for many years to come.

Editorial Committee