Ham & High

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Hampstead & Highgate Express
Ham and High front cover.jpg
Front cover on 6 May 2021
TypeWeekly newspaper
Format Tabloid
Owner Archant
Founded1860;165 years ago (1860)
Circulation 3,944(as of 2021) [1]
ISSN 1366-9192
Website www.hamhigh.co.uk

The Ham & High, officially the Hampstead & Highgate Express, [2] is a weekly paid local newspaper published in the London Borough of Camden by Newsquest Media Group. It covers the north London areas of Hampstead and Highgate. The newspaper is published every Thursday. [3]

Contents

History

The Ham & High was founded in 1860 and from 1862-97 it was under the editorship of George Jealous and printed at Hampstead's only printers, Holly Mount, a former chapel. George Jealous is credited as having inspired the interest of the Harmsworth family in printing, [4] gifting Alfred Harmsworth (Lord Northcliffe) a printing press. [5] Despite being founded on principles of independence, the Ham & High was sold to Archant in 2000. [6]

In 2013, the Ham & High were involved in helping to arrange a march, with other local newspapers, that was attended by 5,000 people, to oppose the selling off of parts of the Whittington Hospital, which was expected to result in 500 people losing their jobs. [7]

In early 2018, Archant shut down the Ham & High office in Finchley Road, in favour of relocating them to east London. [8] Later, in June, Archant announced it would be merging all north London news teams, resulting in the Ham & High no longer having a dedicated editor, to the dismay of former editors. [9]

Archant was acquired by an investment firm in 2020, after going into administration and was subsequently put up for sale in January 2022, later being acquired by Newsquest Media Group, who are based in London. [10]

Editors

Along with George Jealous, past editors have included Gerald Isaaman, Matthew Lewin and Ross Lydall. [11] [12] [13] When Matthew Lewin was made redundant as editor, 59 members of Camden Council wrote to the paper in dismay. [14] Geoff Martin later had a stint as editor. [7] The current editor, who also covers other local papers, is Simon Murfitt. [15]

References

  1. Ham & High Express circulation certificate (PDF) (Report). Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK). 31 January 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  2. "Masthead" . Hampstead & Highgate Express. 20 January 1872. p. 1. Retrieved 17 October 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "Front page". Ham & High. 29 April 2021.
  4. "Hampstead: Vale of Health | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  5. "Alfred Harmsworth Lord Northcliffe (1865-1922) – The Heath & Hampstead Society" . Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  6. Denford, Steven (2009). The Hampstead Book: The A-Z of its history and people. Historical Publications. pp. 47–8. ISBN   9781905286331.
  7. 1 2 Turvill, William (18 March 2013). "North London newspapers in 'rare' show of unity as 5,000 march to save Whittington Hospital". Press Gazette. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  8. Mayhew, Freddy (14 February 2018). "Ham & High set to leave Islington as Archant moves north London staff to Barking". Press Gazette . Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  9. Mayhew, Freddy (4 June 2018). "Archant merges north London news teams leaving historic Ham and High newspaper without its own editor". Press Gazette . Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  10. "Newspaper publisher Archant sold to Newsquest". BBC News. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  11. "Farewell 'Mr Hampstead': Gerald Isaaman, the man who knew everything". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  12. "Matthew Lewin, 78: South African editor and author with a talent for carpentry". www.thetimes.com. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  13. "Ham & High: Trouble on the heath". The Independent. 3 June 2002. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  14. Armitstead, Claire (17 April 2000). "Disgruntled of Hampstead". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  15. "Simon Murfitt, Senior Editor, Newsquest". The Regional Press Awards. Retrieved 18 November 2025.

Official website