Happy birthday! Well-wishes for the Northants Telegraph on its 125th anniversary

The Northants Telegraph has been serving the readers of Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough and Rushden since 1897.

And as we celebrate more than a century of keeping you up-to-date with all the local news, we asked people from the community we serve to help us mark this important milestone.

Kettering MP Philip Hollobone said: “Very many congratulations to the ET on its 125th anniversary.

"The ET has been serving our local community for all that time and is the go to publication for all the most important and topical local news.

"1897 was clearly an extremely significant year for Kettering, because Kettering General Hospital was also founded in that year.

"125 years on both KGH and ET are still serving local people and are much loved local institutions.”

Mayor of Kettering Keli Watts said: “Newspapers are part of the history of the world.

"Whether you want to read about a birth, a death, an event or a recipe it’s always been the newspaper that you can rely on.

"Newspapers going online suits others but, equally, not everyone is comfortable with that technology and so it’s important to keep newspapers in all formats.

"I wish the Northants Telegraph a very happy 125th birthday and look forward to relying on its local coverage for many years to come.”

The Northants Telegraph has worked with Animals In Need in Little Irchester for a long time to help them re-home hundreds of animals each year.

Annie Marriott from the charity said: “It’s essential to have local newspapers so we can all keep up with news and events in our area and further afield.

"Everyone at Animals In Need is grateful for all the support the ET has given us over many years to help us get animals into homes and let everyone know what events we have coming up.”

Glennis Hooper of Wellingborough, the ‘Crazy Lady’ behind the Crazy Hats Breast Cancer Appeal, was a popular columnist with the Northants Telegraph.

She said: “I, personally have had so many happy dealings with the Evening Telegraph/Northants Telegraph through sport (tennis and table tennis), through my teaching career in various schools and, of course, through Crazy Hats and as a columnist - which I loved.

"Without the amazing support of the paper for our charity, and for many other local good causes, I know Crazy Hats would not have reached the heights it did and on behalf of everyone I thank you all for such loyal support and belief in what we did in the 20 years we were active.

"People regularly stopped me to say they had read about our recent activities and looked forward to regular updates reported by the paper and how important it was to learn where and how our funds were used - and see the photographs taken.

"Not everyone has computers or computer skills to go online to read the latest news and many people, especially the older generation (like me!) like tradition - they like the physical feel of actually turning the pages of a newspaper and catching up with all local news and being able to return to it as and when, whilst sitting comfortably in an armchair with a cup of tea.

"As my mum would say, she used to like looking at the hatches and dispatches!”

And finally this message from Dr John Smith of Kettering, another popular columnist for this newspaper.

He said: “A confession – I love the printed word, always have and always will.

"No surprise then when I say I love newspapers, in fact two are spread out in front of me now on the table.

"Digital news seems transient, the printed word is always there, so easy to refer back to and accessible to everyone in our home.

"Turn the pages and it’s a wonderland of local news and information, and yes it is in turning the pages that you discover it, perhaps discovering what you know but more surprisingly what you don’t.

"Openings, closures, plans - large and small, exciting and worry, accepted and rejected.

“Crimes committed and punished, crime prevented.

"Charities raising money, charities campaigning.

"Our hospital struggling, trying to give us good news when it so often isn’t.

"Sports played, teams rejoicing, teams commiserating, news of young stars in the making.

"Local clubs and societies telling us what they have done, in the hope that we might join.

"And over the years it has changed – less cars for sale on Fridays, less homes in midweek lost to Rightmove, and less births and deaths – the classified ads let me know before the hospital.

"No more pages of wedding photos either, it was a fashion your photo being part of local news but not now.

"None of us are always satisfied, I would love it if The Northants Telegraph was more controversial, more campaigning, even taking sides from time to time, our national newspapers do after all.

"33 local newspapers have shut down in the last two years, more have started up in print or digital form, I fear that day might come to us – it wouldn’t be the same.

"125 years since our local newspaper went into print, I pray for many more – use it or lose it.”

Tom Pursglove, MP for Corby and East Northants said: “I’m thrilled to be part of celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Northants Telegraph.

"Local newspapers play an important role within our communities here in Corby and East Northamptonshire and I hope that the coming years bring with them a renewed determination to provide incisive, truthful and balanced journalism that informs local residents on the issues that matter to them, while also fairly representing the broad range of views held within our towns and villages here in the county.

"Healthy, comprehensive and energetic debate is vital in a democracy such as ours - which has become all too dominated by simplistic reporting of complex issues and 'click bait' in recent times, here and abroad - and I hope that the Northants Telegraph will be at the forefront of reporting, in full, the stories that matter in the years to come.”

Take a trip down memory lane with our picture gallery from over the years by clicking here.