WHEN bookseller and printer John Tasker took the bold decision to buy a special hand-driven press to publish a new periodical for Skipton he was laying the foundations for one of the country's best loved and most famous weekly newspapers.

That new periodical was the Craven Herald, which made its first appearance on January 1 1853. We are proud today to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of our newspaper, this editorial being written from the very living room where Mr Tasker relaxed on an evening after a hard day's work in the shop.

Our obituary has been prepared many times. Radio, television, and now the internet have all been identified as the death knell for local newspapers. Yet we embark upon our next age likely to announce record sales figures for this grand old title. Those are actively purchased sales, not spurious, unaudited figures of papers dumped in corners, ignored or, at best, flicked through. No, every week, almost 19,500 people make the conscious decision to go out, buy their Craven Herald and read it.

The Craven Herald continues to thrive because it continues to publish articles relevant to the community. Others might claim to cover the area, but the Herald is the only medium with a team of qualified journalists reporting on events and issues which affect the lives of people in the district.

In these days when many charges of sensationalism are levelled against the media, it is the weekly papers of the country which are upholding the traditions of reportage without fear or favour.

In good times and bad this newspaper has reported upon, supported and furthered the interest of both industry and agriculture. It has encouraged social activities of the most varied kind and its columns have been open to news and comment from every source. The Craven Herald and Pioneer endeavours to keep its news free from any kind of bias and has been a keen champion of local government. It has also recognised that parish pump topics are of vital moment to every citizen.

In two weeks time the Craven Herald will be reprinting that first ever edition for readers to enjoy and contrast with the modern ways. It is a fascinating record of social life in this area 150 years ago and we expect it to be keepsake for future generations.

Later in the year we intend to publish a special supplement detailing the history of the district, the history of the paper and the key role it has played in recording Craven life down the decades.

Meanwhile progress continues and readers are assured that the Herald will keep pace with the times. However, we will remain a typical local, country newspaper and continue to reflect in our columns the familiar character of the historic town of Skipton and the charm and colour of the picturesque Craven Dales.