Biggleswade Chronicle

It was founded in 1891 by Percy Tomson and James Phillips as the Biggleswade Chronicle and Sandy Times. Within a year Tomson had to withdraw from running the paper as the result of a leg injury and Charles Elphick took over, running it for nearly 50 years until his death in March 1942. In the meantime (in 1918) it had changed its name to the Biggleswade Chronicle and Bedfordshire Gazette.

Ted Elphick, Charles’s son, took over the paper on his father’s death and ran it until he died in 1947, at which point the Chronicle was put up for sale, eventually being taken over by the owners of the Bedfordshire Times. Fred Simms took over as editor in 1949 and held the job until 1980. EMAP bought the Chronicle and its sister titles in 1986, selling them to current owners Johnston Press 10 years later. It’s published by JP’s Premier Newspapers subsidiary.

The editorial offices have been in Biggleswade throughout, although they’ve moved from the original premises in Market Square, first to Shortmead Street and then in 1966 to the current offices in the High Street.

It comes out on Fridays.