THE role The Argus has played in Sussex over the last 137 years will be celebrated in a talk later this month.

The Keep record centre, Brighton, is hosting Step Back in Time – A History of The Argus on July 26.

Brighton-based historian Paul Green will take guests through the newspaper’s history, making use of the copies the centre has on microfilm.

Stephanie Shepherd, who works at The Keep, said she expects the event to be a sell out and urged those who want tickets to get in fast.

She said: “The Argus is a crucial paper and always has been for residents of Sussex.

“We are doing this because we want to show people that they can get back copies of the paper on microfilm here too, but also to showcase how the paper was formed.

“It’s a massive part of the history of Brighton and we want to keep a link with them.”

The Argus was first produced on March 30, 1880.

Mr Green will explore its history and how it covered key events.

As well as the microfilm he will have a display of original newspapers and memorabilia.

The event also aims to get residents interacting and sharing their memories of Sussex and the newspaper.

The Keep has a capacity of 100, and, so far, 55 tickets have been sold.

Staff say anyone interested should book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Ms Shepherd said: “It has so far been extremely popular just as we believed it would be.

“We are really looking forward to it to be able to show the place in history that The Argus has had serving the people of Sussex.

“It is also a great opportunity for people to share their experiences with each other and find out more about the paper and the area.

“We think it will go really well.”

The event starts at 5.30pm and will run for an hour.

It is being held at the archive centre in Woollards Way, Moulsecoomb, Brighton. Tickets cost £3 and payments can be taken on the door.

To make a booking in advance, call 01273 482349 or go to thekeep.info/events.