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Combining two of these newspapers, I stumbled across an ad for the Hornsey & Harringay Mercury in a copy of the North London Mercury and Crouch End Observer. (Yes, it says The Times at the top of the page, but the cover says its the North London Mercury and Crouch End Observer. I have no explanation for this difference)
That was becoming ever more common - change a page or two, change the title, sell it as different. Down in Sidcup in the 70s we produced a total of 14 titles but the core 8 pages were common to all and the changes were integrated to cover different border territories - one page was called DHECE - for Dartford, Bexley, Erith, Crayford, and - aha, I forget the other E.
As an old Hornsey Journal hack this is a fascinating piece. When I joined the Journal it was huge broadsheet and included Harringay Mercury and Muswell Hill Record in its sub-title. The late 50s early 60s were the end of the halcyon period for local papers. Hard to believe but the Journal sold 60,000 copies every Friday morning across the borough of Hornsey and into Tottenham, Wood Green and Finchley. It was considered to be 'saturation' coverage - more then 90% of household took a copy - which meant seven or eight in some larger properties. And it was entirely locally produced (along with the Hampstead News, Stoke Newington Observer and North London Press) in Tottenham Lane, Crouch End. Some 30 or more men ran the Linotype machines and composing rooms, once a week (Thursday noon to midnight) a dozen machine men came in to run the Goss Decker press. 24 journalists including three photographers worked there along with a dozen advertising staff and about the same support. So about 80 people or so in the one office and all earning decent pay and paying higher taxes than today. And the company made a profit.
The same type of operation was going on the Tottenham (Crusha Press) and in scores/ hundreds more printing houses across the country. Then came new technology....
Today the office is empty, the paper a freebie and I doubt more than a handful of people are involved in the locality. A better world today? Hmmm - jury still out methinks.
I thought this might be one for you, Richard! At least two of us are interested then!
Indeed - by the way I didn't forget about the Old London book but I became ill and then we decided to move! Getting settled so will get it sorted.
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