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HISTORY & HERITAGE

A new era for the
Westmorland Gazette

From scandalous beginnings to a multi-departmental modern business, The Westmorland Gazette has come a long, long way since 1818.

The newspaper,once edited by poet Thomas De Quincey,who was forced to resign following a spate of libellous articles, has made it all the way through into the new Millennium.

The editorial department on the second floor..

And this month around 80 Westmorland Gazette staff from advertising and accounts to editorial and photographic moved into bespoke new premises, marking the start of a new era for the publication. The move to the brand-new,four-storey office at 1 Wainwright’s Yard is good news for the public too.

During the demolition, Gazette front-of-house staff have been keeping the doors open to the public from temporary yellow cabins in the staff car park. But now visitors are welcomed into an all-singing, all-dancing new reception space off Wainwright’s Yard. Cool,calm and contemporary, the new reception is fully kitted out with a switchboard and Internet access to allow people to book adverts on line and give them access to the web to look at The Westmorland Gazette web site – www.thisisthelakedistrict.co.uk. Staff are also on hand to help customers with inquiries about the full spectrum of Westmorland Gazette and Citizen series titles,including photographs,sales,advertising and editorial.

Meanwhile,staff used to working in a space that once housed the Gazette print works,have taken a step up in the world. The old building with its utilitarian grey paint and strip lights is being swept away and has been replaced with airy offices,spanking new kitchens and even staff showers. Facilities in the new premises include a purpose-built archives room where old,leather-bound copies of the paper are stored for staff reference;modern kitchens; staff rooms; a board room:as well as bright offices.

After years working in a largely windowless office, Gazette staff are now working in offices with some of the best views in Kendal.

Long-standing Gazette team member Assistant Editor (production) Richard Belk - who has been with the paper for 31 years - said the new offices were an exciting new development for staff.

Mr Belk,who initially joined the paper as a reporter,has seen many changes in the Gazette’s office space as technology changed. “I think it is exciting to have purpose-built offices which we have never had before. The building we were in had always been a compromise. Reporters were in the old compositors’ room – the photographic department was in the foundry where the pages were cast.”

Head of advertising sales Anna Hetherington said the 26-strong advertising department was equally pleased with its new office space.

She said the modern,bright and airy offices were a far cry from the old “air craft hanger”style building with high ceilings, skylights and original roof beams. “The daylight,windows,colour scheme and layout will produce a more creative,productive atmosphere. The whole office is a lot more modern,taking such a traditional newspaper into the 21st century but still retaining its traditional values,”she said.

Reproduced courtesy of The Westmorland Gazette
'Changing Face of Kendal', Friday, September 26, 2003

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