The Bolton News

It was founded in 1867 and claims, at the time, to have been Britain’s first community evening halfpenny newspaper. (The Shields Gazette is the UK’s oldest evening newspaper; it switched from weekly to evening publication in 1855 and thus predates The Bolton News by 12 years.) From 1889 to 1962 it became The Bolton Evening News and District Reporter; it then spent the next 14 years as simply the Evening News before reverting to its original title.

It remained in the hands of its founders, the Tillotson family, until 1971, when it was sold to the New York-based St Regis International company. Reed International took it over in 1982; it became part of Newsquest on that company’s foundation as a management buy-out of Reed in 1996.

The editorial offices moved a short distance across Bolton in late 2012 from Churchgate, where they’d been since 1987, to the Civic Centre in Victoria Square. They’re shared with the companion weekly freesheet, the Bolton Journal. However, since 2009 the sub-editors have been based at the offices of the Lancashire Telegraph in Blackburn.

The newspaper changed name to The Bolton News in 2006 and extended from evening to morning sales at the same time.

An e-edition’s available online by paid subscription.