 | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Owner(s) | Tindle Newspaper Group |
| Editor | Mick O'Reilly |
| Founded | 1860 |
| Political alignment | centrist |
| Language | predominantly English and Welsh |
| Headquarters | Aberystwyth |
| Circulation | 6,877(as of 2022) [1] |
| Website | www.cambrian-news.co.uk |
The Cambrian News is a weekly newspaper distributed in Wales. It was founded in 1860 and is based in Cefn Llan Science Park, Aberystwyth. Cambrian News Ltd was bought by media entrepreneur Sir Ray Tindle in 1998. [2]
The paper was first published in Bala in October 1860, as a four-page supplement, The Merioneth Herald, in The Oswestry Advertiser. Having subsequently become a distinct paper printed in Oswestry, England, in 1864 it became the Merionethshire Standard and Mid-Wales Herald [3] and, in 1869, was renamed The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard. [3] [4] In 1870 it was bought by Sir John Gibson, who moved the headquarters to Aberystwyth in 1873, but kept printing in Oswestry [5] [4] under the masthead of The Cambrian News, Merionethshire Standard, and Aberystwyth Times. [6]
Politically, it was a Liberal-leaning newspaper, and supported the election of the first Liberal M.P. for Merionethshire in 1868. [4]
In May 1880, the company integrated editorial and printing in a former malthouse in Mill Street, Aberystwyth. The paper was then named The Cambrian News, Merionethshire Standard, and Welsh Farmers' Gazette. [7] Later Gibson built a printing office and stationer's shop in Terrace Road where the paper was printed for over 60 years—well into the 20th century—before moving to Queen Street and Grays Inn Road by 1980. [4]
In 1915 the business was sold to a new company chaired by A. E. Harrison of Cardiff as managing director and Lord Rhondda as one of its directors. In 1916 Robert Read, from the South Wales Echo was hired as managing editor. The same year it produced a unique Eisteddfod Review souvenir of the Welsh National Eisteddfod that was held in Aberystwyth. In 1917 the paper opened a successful London office which was followed by the appointment of representatives in Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff. [8]
In 1926, Henry Read, Robert's father, bought the paper and became managing director. In the 1930s, Robert Read became the major shareholder, managing director and managing editor. Robert was succeeded, after his death in 1946, by his son—another Henry Read—as managing director and as managing editor by D. C. Wright. [8]
It was under his direction that, after 113 years, printing was contracted out. This enabled the move of editorial staff to the new open-plan offices on the Science Park at Llanbadarn Fawr. On the death of Henry Read, the paper was purchased by Sir Ray Tindle, whose Tindle Newspaper Group owns more than 200 weekly newspapers in Britain [5] as of 2015 [update] .
After 146 years as a broadsheet, the paper transformed to a tabloid format in 2006. [5]
As of January 2010 [update] , the Cambrian News was the second largest newspaper in Wales, claiming a circulation of 24,000 copies in six regional editorial versions, and 60,000 weekly readers. The circulation area of mid, west and north Wales covered 3,000 square miles (7,800 km2). [5]
The paper publishes editions in Bala, Criccieth, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, Porthmadog, Pwllheli, Tywyn, the entirety of Ceredigion and parts of north Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. It maintains offices in Aberystwyth and Porthmadog, having closed its Lampeter office in October 2008. The Aberystwyth head office was originally based in Bridge Street, before moving to Terrace Road, and Grays Inn Road. It is now produced from a unit in the town's Science Park.
In April 2010, all the weekly editions of Cambrian News became available to view as an online digital newspaper on a subscription basis. [9]
Cambrian News Ltd also publishes the Pembrokeshire weekly paper The County Echo and the seasonal Holidaymaker magazine.
Ceredigion, historically Cardiganshire, is a county in the west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. Aberystwyth is the largest settlement, and together with Aberaeron is an administrative centre of Ceredigion County Council.
Lampeter is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales, at the confluence of the Afon Dulas with the River Teifi. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigion, after Aberystwyth and Cardigan, and has a campus of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. At the 2011 Census, the population was 2,970. Lampeter is the smallest university town in the United Kingdom. The university adds approximately 1,000 people to the town's population during term time.
Tregaron is an ancient market town in Ceredigion, Wales, astride the River Brenig, a tributary of the River Teifi. Tregaron is 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Lampeter. According to the 2011 Census, the population of the ward of Tregaron was 1,213 and 67% of the population could speak Welsh. Tregaron is a community covering 86 square kilometres (33 sq mi). Two-thirds of the population were born in Wales.
Joseph Parry was a Welsh composer and musician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, he is best known as the composer of "Myfanwy" and the hymn tune "Aberystwyth", on which the African song "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" is said to be based. Parry was also the first Welshman to compose an opera; his composition, Blodwen, was the first opera in the Welsh language.
Ceredigion is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Created in 1536, the franchise expanded in the late 19th century and on the enfranchisement of women. Its boundaries remained virtually unchanged until 1983. From 1536 until 1885 the area had two seats : a county constituency (Cardiganshire) comprising the rural areas, the other the borough constituency known as the Cardigan District of Boroughs comprising a few separate towns; in 1885 the latter was abolished, its towns and electors incorporated into the former, reduced to one MP. The towns which comprised the Boroughs varied slightly over this long period, but primarily consisted of Cardigan, Aberystwyth, Lampeter and Adpar, the latter now a suburb of Newcastle Emlyn across the Teifi, in Carmarthenshire.
Dovey Junction is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in Wales. It is the junction where the line splits into the line to Aberystwyth and the Cambrian Coast Line to Pwllheli. Passenger services are provided by Transport for Wales. There is a single island platform.
Radio Ceredigion was an Independent Local Radio station that was broadcast to Ceredigion. It was broadcast across the county on 96.6, 97.4 and 103.3 FM.
The media in Wales provide services in both English and Welsh, and play a role in modern Welsh culture. BBC Wales began broadcasting in 1923 have helped to promote a form of standardised spoken Welsh, and one historian has argued that the concept of Wales as a single national entity owes much to modern broadcasting. The national broadcasters are based in the capital, Cardiff.
Y Cymro is a Welsh-language newspaper, which was first published in 1932. It was founded in Wrexham, and succeeded other newspapers of the same name that had existed during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is Wales's only national newspaper in Welsh and was previously published weekly. In 2017, the owners and publishers, Tindle Newspapers Group, announced that they would stop publication and that they were looking for new owners to publish the paper. In March 2018, after negotiations between the two companies, its new owners Cyfryngau Cymru Cyf. started publishing Y Cymro as a monthly newspaper. The new company also set up a new Y Cymro website.
Aberystwyth is a university and seaside town and a community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and 16 miles (26 km) from Aberaeron, the county's administrative centre. In 2011, the population of the town was 15,935.
Sir John Gibson (1841–1915) was a journalist who spent most of his career at Aberystwyth as editor of the Cambrian News. His book, The Emancipation of Women, dealt particularly with Wales.
The Aberystwyth Observer was a weekly conservative English language newspaper in Wales.
Thomas James Jenkin (1885–1965) was professor of agriculture at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and director of the Welsh Plant Breeding Station from 1942 to 1950.
The Tenby Observer is a weekly English language newspaper, published each Friday, which circulates around Tenby, South Pembrokeshire, and amongst tourists generally. The ’paper started as a list of the town's influential and well-to-do visitors but soon added news, mostly local, and adverts which traditionally adorned the front page. It was published by Richard Mason from 1853 to 1860.
The 1905–06 Welsh Amateur Cup was the sixteenth season of the Welsh Amateur Cup. The cup was won by Buckley Engineers who defeated Porthmadog 3-1 in a replayed final, at Welshpool.
The 1906–07 Welsh Amateur Cup was the seventeenth season of the Welsh Amateur Cup. The cup was won by Buckley Engineers who defeated Aberystwyth 2-1 in a replayed final at Newtown.
The 1879 Welsh Cup Final, was the second in the competition. It was contested by Newtown White Star and Wrexham at the Cricket Field, Oswestry.