Brighton Talking Newspaper closes after nearly 50 years

The Brighton and Hove Talking Newspaper scheme delivered free news bulletins weekly, using clippings from The Argus, to blind people in and around the city.

But dwindling listener figures and newer technology have threatened the charity and it made its final recording on Thursday.

The ageing equipment used to produce the talking newspaper (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

It marked the end of a 47-year-long service to blind people, allowing them to stay in the loop with The Argus's coverage through a weekly recording which was delivered to their homes.

Chairman Mark Linford said: "It was an emotional day for me and everyone else. 

"Really, the arrival of the internet and home computers affected us. From that peak of about 500 listeners, that number gradually declined.

"There are so many other ways they can get their news now, from Alexa to text to speech readers."

The studio is on the corner of Coombe Road (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

The talking newspaper was made weekly at the charity's studio in Mafeking Road, near Lewes Road, Brighton, and a USB stick or CD was delivered by mail in a bright yellow wallet to blind people in the city the following day.

The whole show was produced free of charge to the listeners, and relied solely on donations to keep it running.

Royal Mail collected and delivered the show every week for free, as part of its Articles for the Blind scheme.

The yellow envelope which carried the weekly bulletin (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

At the time of the final recording, some 25 listeners received the show, which featured a range of stories from politics to sport from over the previous week.

Mark added: "After doing this for over seven years now, you start to notice how the little stories really are the life of the city.

"The big, flashy events are great, but it's the little trivial things which are the heartbeat of Brighton.

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"We would read extracts from the letters page, and it's almost like you can hear the city breathing when you can hear these concerns rolling through week after week.

"It was really sad to finish up the recordings, put them into the wallets, and turn off the lights for one last time."

The talking newspaper team receiving their first Telex Copyette - Left to right: Fred Emery, Unknown, Marcia Carey (Image: Brighton Talking Newspapers)

The orgnaisation was founded by Eric and Marcia Carey in 1976 in their Kemp Town basement. They recorded articles from what was then the Evening Argus on to magnetic audio tapes.

With the help of philanthropists and volunteers, this grew until they opened a studio in Mafeking Road.

Now, the Talking Newspaper's records will be going to the archives in The Keep in Moulsecoomb.

A rotating team of five produced the show each week, comprising three "readers", one editor, who picked the stories, and an engineer who operated the microphone and technical aspects.

Marjorie reads a clipping of The Argus (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Retired teacher Marjorie Jones was an editor at the Talking Newspaper for 20 years.

Marjorie, 79, said: "There was an advert in The Argus for people to come along and volunteer for the service, so I came along for an interview and got the job.

"Over the years I have been really proud of what I've achieved, by keeping people in touch with what's going on. I certainly had my tissues out for today's recording.

"No reader is the same, we like to put little comments in here and there to make it a bit more human. 

"I always got two papers every day, as we get stuff on the back of the pages - and we cut out the stories to read.

"I do some volunteering for the local Rotary Club, so I'll still be busy."

The table in the studio was covered in clippings (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Brighton and Hove Mayor Councillor Lizzie Deane shared a message on the final Talking Newspaper.

She said: "I have just another two months to go as mayor, so I know what it's like to come to the end of something.

"It's always something I would have liked to have done in my own time, so it's sad I have not had the opportunity to.

"I think it's a wonderful thing.

"There is a personal and close feel to reading a newspaper. You know there is a local person, giving up their time for the blind."

You can listen to the final talking newspaper below.