Romford & Havering Post

It’s published by Dagenham-based Post Newspapers, a branch of the Archant media group’s Archant London division. The editorial offices are in Ilford and are shared with Archant’s paid-for weekly for the area, the Romford Recorder.

It has quite a complex history. Its earliest forebear is The Romford Times, first published in 1913, renamed the Hornchurch, Dagenham & Romford Times in 1940 and then renamed again as the Hornchurch, Dagenham, Brentwood & Romford Times in 1945, by which time it had settled down to weekly publication – at some stage in its earlier years it was brought out several times a week. In 1968 it became The Havering & Romford Express. After a three-year partial reversion to its original title in 1974 as the Havering Express & Romford Times, it became the Romford Express in 1977, then the Romford & Hornchurch Express in 1979.

Meanwhile, back in 1965 the Hornchurch & Upminster Echo had been launched, becoming the Havering Echo in 1974. The Post part of the name first appeared in 1978, when the Echo became the Havering Post & Echo.

At the beginning of 1980 the two papers were merged as the Havering Post and Romford & Hornchurch Express. The edition numbers of the Post were maintained, rather than those of the Express, implying that the younger title absorbed the older and not vice versa (although the Post website used to claim the earlier foundation date). Just 18 months later the Express disappeared from the title altogether as the newspaper became the Havering (Hornchurch, Romford, Upminster, Rainham) Post. By 1987 the present title had been adopted and (apart from a spell from 2001 to 2004 when it was the Romford & Havering Weekly Post) has been retained ever since. In 2004 it absorbed the Havering Herald, a freesheet founded as the Romford Leader in 1992, and for several years afterwards bore the additional legend “incorporating the Havering Herald” below its title.

It was relaunched, and switched from tabloid to tabloid quarterfold format, in November 2012.

Although the Post has its own web address, it doesn’t have its own website – the URL redirects to the Recorder‘s site.

It comes out on Thursdays. An e-edition’s also available via the website.