Hemel Hempstead Evening Post-Echo
Encyclopedia
The Evening Post-Echo was a British newspaper
published in Hemel Hempstead
and launched in 1967.
This newspaper was notable for three reasons:
1. It used the then cutting-edge technology of photo-typesetting
at a time when the old 'hot metal
' process was the norm.
2. It was one of the few non-national newspapers to publish six days a week.
3. It was neither national nor local, but a regional newspaper covering three counties (Bedfordshire
, Buckinghamshire
and Hertfordshire
).
From launch, the paper flourished and grew, attaining a circulation of over 90,000 copies per night at its peak.
, then Britain
's biggest newspaper group, to break the Beaverbrook and Northcliffe domination of the London
-Home Counties
evening paper market. Two other papers - the Slough Evening Mail and the Reading Evening Post
- were part of this strategy. Lord (Roy) Thomson
invested millions in the experiment, which he believed would profit from what he saw as huge advertising
potential in prosperous communities north and west of London.
His efforts were thwarted from the start by demands from the print unions, which insisted on unsustainable manning levels. Thomson management was less robust than it might have been because it feared union repercussions at Times Newspapers, publishers of the Times
and Sunday Times.
cut their teeth at the newspaper, which was edited in its early days by Ivor Lewis
(former Sunday Times) and Richard Parrack, who was later to become a senior executive with News International
.
Other outstanding journalists worked on the Post-Echo in its heyday. They included Melanie Phillips
(Daily Mail
), Stephen Pile (Sunday Telegraph
), David Francis (Mail on Sunday), Lee Harrison and John Cathcart (National Enquirer), Tony Holden (Sunday Times and The Observer
), Maurice Chittenden (Sunday Times), Ashley Walton (Daily Express
), Jean Ritchie (The Sun), Mark Milner (The Guardian
) and David Felton (The Independent
).
The Post-Echos assistant editor, John Marquis, who worked in London for both Reuters
and Thomson Newspapers, became one of the few newspaper editors ever credited with bringing down a national government while editing The Tribune in Nassau
, Bahamas, in 2007. While on the Post-Echo he won the Provincial Journalist of the Year award for exposing negligence at two hospitals. Melanie Phillips won the Young Journalist of the Year award the following year (1975).
Several Post-Echo journalists became authors. Stephen Pile wrote The Book of Heroic Failures
, Melanie Phillips the controversial Londonistan
, Jean Ritchie a book about murderess Myra Hindley, and Ashley Walton The Duke of Hazard about Prince Philip
. Tony Holden became a royal biographer and also wrote a book about professional poker
called Big Deal. John Marquis wrote Blood and Fire, about the famous murder of Sir Harry Oakes, and Papa Doc, about the Haiti
an dictator François Duvalier
.
to produce bold broadsheet pages with imaginative use of pictures. It regularly outshone its London rivals, the Evening News
and Evening Standard
, on the newsstands and was seen by many Fleet Street
observers of the day as the future of newspapers. One of the Evening Post photographers, Alun John went on to become the award winning launch Picture Editor of The Independent.
.
However, it was Marquis's hospitals investigation the following year which landed the Post-Echo its first major writing award, with Phillips taking her award 12 months later.
At the time of its closure, the editor was Trevor Wade, who went on to edit the Reading Evening Post.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire in the East of England, to the north west of London and part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2001 Census was 81,143 ....
and launched in 1967.
This newspaper was notable for three reasons:
1. It used the then cutting-edge technology of photo-typesetting
Typesetting
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of types.Typesetting requires the prior process of designing a font and storing it in some manner...
at a time when the old 'hot metal
Hot metal typesetting
In printing and typography, hot metal typesetting refers to 19th-century technologies for typesetting text in letterpress printing. This method injects molten type metal into a mold that has the shape of one or more glyphs...
' process was the norm.
2. It was one of the few non-national newspapers to publish six days a week.
3. It was neither national nor local, but a regional newspaper covering three counties (Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
).
From launch, the paper flourished and grew, attaining a circulation of over 90,000 copies per night at its peak.
Background to launch
Launched initially as two papers, the Evening Post and Evening Echo, it was an attempt by the Thomson OrganizationThomson Organization
International Thomson Organization was a development of the commercial empire founded by Lord Thomson of Fleet . It was formed in 1978 as a holding company for interests in publishing, travel, and natural resources...
, then Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's biggest newspaper group, to break the Beaverbrook and Northcliffe domination of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-Home Counties
Home Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
evening paper market. Two other papers - the Slough Evening Mail and the Reading Evening Post
Reading Evening Post
The Reading Post , is an English local newspaper covering Reading, Berkshire and surrounding areas. The title page of the paper features the Maiwand Lion, a famous local landmark at Forbury Gardens...
- were part of this strategy. Lord (Roy) Thomson
Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet
Roy Herbert Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet GBE was a Canadian newspaper proprietor and media entrepreneur.-Career:...
invested millions in the experiment, which he believed would profit from what he saw as huge advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
potential in prosperous communities north and west of London.
His efforts were thwarted from the start by demands from the print unions, which insisted on unsustainable manning levels. Thomson management was less robust than it might have been because it feared union repercussions at Times Newspapers, publishers of the Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and Sunday Times.
Journalists
Many Fleet Street figures such as Peter WrightPeter Wright (journalist)
Peter Wright is a British newspaper editor.Wright attended Clare College, Cambridge, then took a graduate trainee position with Thomson Regional Newspapers, working as a reporter on the Hemel Hempstead Evening Post-Echo. In 1979, he moved to the Daily Mail, working on various desks before...
cut their teeth at the newspaper, which was edited in its early days by Ivor Lewis
Ivor Lewis
Ivor Rhys Lewis was a Canadian artist and business director.Lewis was born in Wales, but emigrated to Canada as a small boy. He trained as an artist at the Ontario School of Art, and was hired in the art department of the Eaton's department store chain in Toronto...
(former Sunday Times) and Richard Parrack, who was later to become a senior executive with News International
News International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
.
Other outstanding journalists worked on the Post-Echo in its heyday. They included Melanie Phillips
Melanie Phillips
Melanie Phillips is a British journalist and author. She began her career on the left of the political spectrum, writing for such publications as The Guardian and New Statesman. In the 1990s she moved to the right, and she now writes for the Daily Mail newspaper, covering political and social...
(Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
), Stephen Pile (Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
), David Francis (Mail on Sunday), Lee Harrison and John Cathcart (National Enquirer), Tony Holden (Sunday Times and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
), Maurice Chittenden (Sunday Times), Ashley Walton (Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
), Jean Ritchie (The Sun), Mark Milner (The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
) and David Felton (The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
).
The Post-Echos assistant editor, John Marquis, who worked in London for both Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
and Thomson Newspapers, became one of the few newspaper editors ever credited with bringing down a national government while editing The Tribune in Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, Bahamas, in 2007. While on the Post-Echo he won the Provincial Journalist of the Year award for exposing negligence at two hospitals. Melanie Phillips won the Young Journalist of the Year award the following year (1975).
Several Post-Echo journalists became authors. Stephen Pile wrote The Book of Heroic Failures
The Book of Heroic Failures
The Book of Heroic Failures, written by Stephen Pile in 1979, is a book written in celebration of human inadequacy in all its forms. Entries include William McGonagall, a notoriously bad poet, and Teruo Nakamura, a soldier of the Imperial Japanese Army who fought for Japan in World War II until...
, Melanie Phillips the controversial Londonistan
Londonistan (book)
Londonistan: How Britain is creating a terror state within is the best-seller by British journalist Melanie Phillips about the spread of Islamism in the United Kingdom over the past twenty years...
, Jean Ritchie a book about murderess Myra Hindley, and Ashley Walton The Duke of Hazard about Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. Tony Holden became a royal biographer and also wrote a book about professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
called Big Deal. John Marquis wrote Blood and Fire, about the famous murder of Sir Harry Oakes, and Papa Doc, about the Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an dictator François Duvalier
François Duvalier
François Duvalier was the President of Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971. Duvalier first won acclaim in fighting diseases, earning him the nickname "Papa Doc" . He opposed a military coup d'état in 1950, and was elected President in 1957 on a populist and black nationalist platform...
.
Design and Photography
In its early days, the Post-Echo won many design awards, using offset printingOffset printing
Offset printing is a commonly used printing technique in which the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface...
to produce bold broadsheet pages with imaginative use of pictures. It regularly outshone its London rivals, the Evening News
Evening News (London)
Evening News, formerly known as The Evening News, was an evening newspaper published in London from 1881 to 1980, reappearing briefly in 1987. It became highly popular under the control of the Harmsworth brothers. For a long time it maintained the largest daily sale of any evening newspaper in London...
and Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, on the newsstands and was seen by many Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
observers of the day as the future of newspapers. One of the Evening Post photographers, Alun John went on to become the award winning launch Picture Editor of The Independent.
Famous articles and awards
In 1973 it published a powerful and much-praised series of articles about the poisoner Graham Young which resulted in a book by Tony Holden called The St Albans Poisoner. He was one of a four-man investigation team led by Marquis, which included Lee Harrison and reporter Philip Smith, both of whom later worked on The National Enquirer in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
However, it was Marquis's hospitals investigation the following year which landed the Post-Echo its first major writing award, with Phillips taking her award 12 months later.
Demise
Despite its editorial excellence, the Post-Echo eventually bowed to the inexorable rise of freesheets and their demands on advertising revenue and the deep recession of the early 80s eventually saw its demise. It closed in 1983 with the loss of 470 jobs.At the time of its closure, the editor was Trevor Wade, who went on to edit the Reading Evening Post.