Todmorden News

The Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Weekly Advertiser, and General News-letter was founded in 1853 by Richard Chambers. The word Weekly was dropped in 1875, and the title rearranged to The Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter in 1880. It had the distinction of being one of the earliest newspapers in the country to be printed on a linotype machine.

In 1934 the Advertiser merged with local rival the Todmorden & District News, which had been founded in 1869. The amalgamated paper was initially called simply The News & Advertiser, but took on its present full name in 1940.

It’s published by The Halifax Courier Ltd, which has been part of the Johnston Press group since 1994. The former editorial offices in Todmorden closed in May 2012, the paper’s operations moving to the Halifax Courier‘s offices in Halifax.

In January 2012 it announced plans to change from broadsheet to tabloid format, which it did at the beginning of February. An e-edition (a rarity for Johnston Press’s newspapers) was made available for readers to preview the new format and comment on the changes.

It comes out on Thursdays.