Wear Valley Mercury out of business
Working
at The Wear Valley Mercury was seldom glamorous, but in the cramped
little office in Crook’s Hope Street there has always been honest hard
work, comradeship, fun and a genuine dedication to the communities we
served.
We punched well above our weight for five-and-a-half years and like all underdogs, we were always prone to a big knockout punch.
However, each week we would bounce back from challenges with energy, enthusiasm and a healthy sense of competition.
Unfortunately, the decision has been taken to shut the newspaper because
of the tough economic situation we all find ourselves in.
And so it was with deep sadness that we came to accept that this week would see the final edition of the Wear Valley Mercury.
Our title was launched on September 8, 2006 and I was proud to be a part
of the first new newspaper to have been set up in 50 years.
Community newspapers like this are easy to dismiss as lightweight vehicles for church fetes and small interest groups.
But those same groups are what make up our daily lives and hold our communities together.
All of our past reporters – Caroline Holmes, Alison Goulding, Duncan
Leatherdale, Vicky Callaghan, Lizzie Anderson and latterly Ashley
Barnard – have gone the extra mile for this area, working unpaid
weekends and evenings and attending social functions.
There has always been a willingness to give that little bit extra to try to establish this fledgling title as a real contender.
I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism and dedication of them all.
Most often, the editorial staff at the Mercury numbered just two – the deputy editor and one reporter.
We covered the whole of the former Wear Valley district – a patch covering some hundreds of square miles.
Usually, we were supported by one advertising executive, most recently
Tracy Blair. The advertising staff have worked tirelessly. It was a
small team but determined nonetheless.
There have been many big stories and campaigns for us. My proudest
moment has to be representing the newspaper at 10 Downing Street.
I delivered the newspaper’s 16,552-name petition that protested the closure of A&E services at Bishop Auckland Hospital. Not bad for a paper selling fewer than 2,000 copies.
This is where I believe the value of community newspapers lies.
They give a genuine voice to the general public on their terms and not those of governments, councils or any other major bodies.
It was the public who responded to our petition. They saw an opportunity
to genuinely say what they thought and have it seen by the right
people.
They grasped it with both hands.
If we existed for one reason only, then for me that was the one.
We may not have won that particular fight but we enabled the debate to
be a little fairer while shining a light on the inequalities that
surrounded that decision.
More recently we have held Durham County Council to account over its spending cuts.
We even exclusively revealed a leaked report that proposed closure of hundreds of community centres across County Durham.
Like all businesses, newspapers are suffering in the current economic climate and we have become its latest victim.
To all of our loyal readers and advertisers, I would like thank you for your support. Rest assured, we all tried our very best.
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye and good luck.
Phil Hardy
Editor