I remember writing letter after letter to the E&S when I was around 14, tucking my gig reviews into the envelope and praying they'd publish one. Such an important paper to so many people. I spent a good few years working at NW and I must say this news is...well...gutting.
Thanks Kirsty for this Saturday feature. The Express & Star was a name that I'm familiar with but not being a native West Midlander not completely on my radar. The paper was always a fixture though with my farming relatives over Penkridge way ,it was something always there in the kitchen when i went to stay in school holidays.
It was interesting to read a little of its history, and you're right about the fact that the selling off of any other family business would have reached a larger audience. I was unaware of this.
The newspaper of my youth, The Manchester Evening News, became a shadow of its former self as I grew older and this is a pattern countrywide now. Pandora's box in the form of the Internet is now wide open and the reason I'm commenting now on the digital news platform of The Birmingham Dispatch.
Hi Anne. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment. I did some work experience on the MEN when I was studying and it felt so massive at the time. Some newspapers are just... Well. I don't know what they are. Special doesn't seem the right term. Significant, maybe? I feel the same about the Liverpool Echo, given all it has done for the community over the years!
Thanks for writing this, Kirsty. Back in 2005 I was lucky enough to do work experience in the building you speak so fondly of, on the Sports desk. I remember the bustle of the office well. Though it turned me away from wanting to be a journalist, it left me with a fantastic memory.
One of the journalists was assigned to go and interview the then Aston Villa chairman at the training ground. It was a damp, freezing day and the part of the training ground we were interviewing him in was a building site. He kept us and the other journalists waiting a significant amount of time, all numb from cold in a tiny little portakabin, until he pulled up in a lovely old Jag with a boot filled to the brim with the alcohol. The interviews took place and the alcohol flowed. Later, we'd find what we recorded on the Dictaphone would be largely unusable due to my high pitched laughs littered throughout -- regardless of whether a comment was funny or not.
Interviews out the way with, the chairman walked around the room apologizing for his tardiness. When he came to us, I was introduced as 'This is Dan, he's a student on work experience.' He shook my hand and made a comment about being a student, then said he had something for me. We walked outside to his car and he presented me with a big, two litre bottle of Cider. Me and the journalist both looked at each other. I took the bottle from him. The journalist turned a blind eye. I was 14.
On the way back, the journalist dropped me off back in our shared hometown of West Bromwich. From his car to my bus stop was only a short walk but he kept shouting after me to hurry up as he thought some older lads were eyeing me and the bottle up. I managed to get home safely, bottle intact, until my Mom asked me where on earth I'd managed to get that from. The Aston Villa chairman didn't seem to be a believable response.
Hi Kirsty. No problem. I think I found it hard to stick to a more formal reporting style. I was always more of a creative writer and found it hard to suppress that side when submitting anything.
Your piece is both powerful and poignant. Alas I am of that world where I'm more reliant on the phone ping of a story than previously going out to pick up a hard copy, although I do still read the weekend nationals.
Paradoxically, the nation is quite content on reading from an advertisement-heavy page with such vacuous, generic stories. Who cares how the team did on The Chase last night and that there's a new must have gadget for the over 65s? It's nonsense. But if we're not buying the papers, they can't live on goodwill alone.
I must admit I didn't know that the E&S had been acquired by National World, though it's ironic that this article appears the same week the E&S 'relaunched' with a 'new look', and now it is just an identikit version of other National World titles, such as Yorkshire Post or Birmingham World.
My first impression is that this new design appears to provide more space for adverts, and I suppose the fear is that the title will become more 'Reach-like' with more focus on 'click-bait' headlines and low-quality 'churn'.
Yes it's a shame, the big news companies provide free stories but the pay off is having them packed with ads and the focus being on getting as many page views as possible, rather than thinking what stories do people want to read?
Love this; a beautiful read. And there is still a desire, place, and need for print media - I have seen this first hand over the last few years. But whilst it's very real, it is also a far cry from the six figure circulation salad days. Change begets change, and the tectonic plates of regional journalism are shifting. Radically shifting. One outcome being the very platform where this article has been published and read and appreciated.
But be it digital, print, social, or traditional, there are still readers who want balanced, investigative, and informative copy. When I'm feeling particularly glum I remember I still have my records, my turntables, and I still get immense pleasure from both. Even if the David Guettas of this world turn up to work with nothing more than a footballer's haircut and a USB stick.
Thank you for letting us into your world at the E&S too - a building I only know from the outside.
In 1999 I won paper boy of the year and received a £20 voucher for Beatties. I spent it on 'Californication' by Red Hot Chili Peppers and 'Up' by REM. A very cool year.
I genuinely believe that the future of regional journalism long-term will have to be in offering the high-quality, original content that only local titles can offer. Just trying to be faster in getting out a story about Wetherspoons' new breakfast menu because Google tells you that content drives a lot of traffic is not a strategy for a sustainable future. I've always thought it's the equivalent of a greengrocers quickly trying to jump on flogging fish and chips because there's just not the demand for carrots and bananas these days.
An excellent article Kirsty. I worked at the Express and Star almost straight from leaving school in the early 80’s and even though I left around 1987, to work on a National newspaper it’s always been close to my heart. I too enjoyed wandering around its many corridors and smelling the news print. It’s an institution in the Black Country and I’m not sure that it will thrive under the ownership of National World, but sounds like its options were limited? Only time will tell. Good luck to the Birmingham Dispatch
The collapse in advertising revenue is obviously one factor in the decline of the E &S. Circulation is in freefall.
While I remain a reader (and a writer to the letters page), I sometimes despair of the "churnalism" in which much of the news is really just rehashed press releases. Does it even keep court reporters, for example? My impression is that it doesn't.
Sad times but cold hard commercials are hard to avoid after a while. I hope the Shropshire Star keeps going - despite a few too many 'tractor tips over' stories it really does help keep the sparsely populated county connected. Thanks for sharing Kirsty.
I'm 63 years old born and bred in Wolves and the Express and Star uptill around 2015 was a must read every day.
My dad would spend every evening reading it cover to cover whilst at the same time watching the news on the TV.
Then we'd keep some around the house for putting on the floor whilst cleaning our shoes used for decorating and lighting the fire.
I worked for Stars news and remember the customers would start queuing early eagerly waiting for their copy of there only daily read.
Being an evening print it would always have the latest of the day compared to the morning editions.
We sold hundreds every day and if we ran out a quick call to the garage and the famous red and gold van would turn up a few minutes later with extras.
Saturdays the infamous Pink with all the days sports results had a huge following and I used to marvel how quickly the results and commentary were printed and distributed with amazing speed.
Nowadays news is secondary to the adverts and the lightweight postage stamp size editions carry little weight compared to the past broadsheets full of news and features like jobs, Homes and cars for sale.
I remember your article for Birmingham Live about the most expensive restaurant in Birmingham. Becci Sayce who was on my NCTJ course kept going on about you saying she was good mates with you. She thought the restaurant article was the funniest thing ever. I thought it was quite funny but I was more jealous than anything because I wanted to go to an expensive restaurant myself but couldn’t afford to.
I remember writing letter after letter to the E&S when I was around 14, tucking my gig reviews into the envelope and praying they'd publish one. Such an important paper to so many people. I spent a good few years working at NW and I must say this news is...well...gutting.
Thanks Kirsty for this Saturday feature. The Express & Star was a name that I'm familiar with but not being a native West Midlander not completely on my radar. The paper was always a fixture though with my farming relatives over Penkridge way ,it was something always there in the kitchen when i went to stay in school holidays.
It was interesting to read a little of its history, and you're right about the fact that the selling off of any other family business would have reached a larger audience. I was unaware of this.
The newspaper of my youth, The Manchester Evening News, became a shadow of its former self as I grew older and this is a pattern countrywide now. Pandora's box in the form of the Internet is now wide open and the reason I'm commenting now on the digital news platform of The Birmingham Dispatch.
Hi Anne. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment. I did some work experience on the MEN when I was studying and it felt so massive at the time. Some newspapers are just... Well. I don't know what they are. Special doesn't seem the right term. Significant, maybe? I feel the same about the Liverpool Echo, given all it has done for the community over the years!
Thanks for writing this, Kirsty. Back in 2005 I was lucky enough to do work experience in the building you speak so fondly of, on the Sports desk. I remember the bustle of the office well. Though it turned me away from wanting to be a journalist, it left me with a fantastic memory.
One of the journalists was assigned to go and interview the then Aston Villa chairman at the training ground. It was a damp, freezing day and the part of the training ground we were interviewing him in was a building site. He kept us and the other journalists waiting a significant amount of time, all numb from cold in a tiny little portakabin, until he pulled up in a lovely old Jag with a boot filled to the brim with the alcohol. The interviews took place and the alcohol flowed. Later, we'd find what we recorded on the Dictaphone would be largely unusable due to my high pitched laughs littered throughout -- regardless of whether a comment was funny or not.
Interviews out the way with, the chairman walked around the room apologizing for his tardiness. When he came to us, I was introduced as 'This is Dan, he's a student on work experience.' He shook my hand and made a comment about being a student, then said he had something for me. We walked outside to his car and he presented me with a big, two litre bottle of Cider. Me and the journalist both looked at each other. I took the bottle from him. The journalist turned a blind eye. I was 14.
On the way back, the journalist dropped me off back in our shared hometown of West Bromwich. From his car to my bus stop was only a short walk but he kept shouting after me to hurry up as he thought some older lads were eyeing me and the bottle up. I managed to get home safely, bottle intact, until my Mom asked me where on earth I'd managed to get that from. The Aston Villa chairman didn't seem to be a believable response.
This is an absolutely nuts story!
Makes a decent anecdote at parties!
Hiya Dan, thanks for reading it. What put you off out of curiosity? 😊
Hi Kirsty. No problem. I think I found it hard to stick to a more formal reporting style. I was always more of a creative writer and found it hard to suppress that side when submitting anything.
I totally relate to this!
The struggle is real! Though you seem to have found a really good way of finding a balance.
Thank you. It's hard out here for sure, but you have to just keep doing what your gut tells you! 😊
Your piece is both powerful and poignant. Alas I am of that world where I'm more reliant on the phone ping of a story than previously going out to pick up a hard copy, although I do still read the weekend nationals.
Paradoxically, the nation is quite content on reading from an advertisement-heavy page with such vacuous, generic stories. Who cares how the team did on The Chase last night and that there's a new must have gadget for the over 65s? It's nonsense. But if we're not buying the papers, they can't live on goodwill alone.
I must admit I didn't know that the E&S had been acquired by National World, though it's ironic that this article appears the same week the E&S 'relaunched' with a 'new look', and now it is just an identikit version of other National World titles, such as Yorkshire Post or Birmingham World.
My first impression is that this new design appears to provide more space for adverts, and I suppose the fear is that the title will become more 'Reach-like' with more focus on 'click-bait' headlines and low-quality 'churn'.
Yes it's a shame, the big news companies provide free stories but the pay off is having them packed with ads and the focus being on getting as many page views as possible, rather than thinking what stories do people want to read?
Love this; a beautiful read. And there is still a desire, place, and need for print media - I have seen this first hand over the last few years. But whilst it's very real, it is also a far cry from the six figure circulation salad days. Change begets change, and the tectonic plates of regional journalism are shifting. Radically shifting. One outcome being the very platform where this article has been published and read and appreciated.
But be it digital, print, social, or traditional, there are still readers who want balanced, investigative, and informative copy. When I'm feeling particularly glum I remember I still have my records, my turntables, and I still get immense pleasure from both. Even if the David Guettas of this world turn up to work with nothing more than a footballer's haircut and a USB stick.
Thank you for letting us into your world at the E&S too - a building I only know from the outside.
In 1999 I won paper boy of the year and received a £20 voucher for Beatties. I spent it on 'Californication' by Red Hot Chili Peppers and 'Up' by REM. A very cool year.
I genuinely believe that the future of regional journalism long-term will have to be in offering the high-quality, original content that only local titles can offer. Just trying to be faster in getting out a story about Wetherspoons' new breakfast menu because Google tells you that content drives a lot of traffic is not a strategy for a sustainable future. I've always thought it's the equivalent of a greengrocers quickly trying to jump on flogging fish and chips because there's just not the demand for carrots and bananas these days.
An excellent article Kirsty. I worked at the Express and Star almost straight from leaving school in the early 80’s and even though I left around 1987, to work on a National newspaper it’s always been close to my heart. I too enjoyed wandering around its many corridors and smelling the news print. It’s an institution in the Black Country and I’m not sure that it will thrive under the ownership of National World, but sounds like its options were limited? Only time will tell. Good luck to the Birmingham Dispatch
The collapse in advertising revenue is obviously one factor in the decline of the E &S. Circulation is in freefall.
While I remain a reader (and a writer to the letters page), I sometimes despair of the "churnalism" in which much of the news is really just rehashed press releases. Does it even keep court reporters, for example? My impression is that it doesn't.
Sad times but cold hard commercials are hard to avoid after a while. I hope the Shropshire Star keeps going - despite a few too many 'tractor tips over' stories it really does help keep the sparsely populated county connected. Thanks for sharing Kirsty.
I'm 63 years old born and bred in Wolves and the Express and Star uptill around 2015 was a must read every day.
My dad would spend every evening reading it cover to cover whilst at the same time watching the news on the TV.
Then we'd keep some around the house for putting on the floor whilst cleaning our shoes used for decorating and lighting the fire.
I worked for Stars news and remember the customers would start queuing early eagerly waiting for their copy of there only daily read.
Being an evening print it would always have the latest of the day compared to the morning editions.
We sold hundreds every day and if we ran out a quick call to the garage and the famous red and gold van would turn up a few minutes later with extras.
Saturdays the infamous Pink with all the days sports results had a huge following and I used to marvel how quickly the results and commentary were printed and distributed with amazing speed.
Nowadays news is secondary to the adverts and the lightweight postage stamp size editions carry little weight compared to the past broadsheets full of news and features like jobs, Homes and cars for sale.
Thanks for that Bozzer (or is it Bozza!). At least you got to go for a free meal in a posh restaurant.
It's Bozzers 😊
Nice to see you’ve got a new job anyway, I’ll keep my eyes out for the new ‘paper!
No new job, I've been freelance ever since I left the E&S!
I remember your article for Birmingham Live about the most expensive restaurant in Birmingham. Becci Sayce who was on my NCTJ course kept going on about you saying she was good mates with you. She thought the restaurant article was the funniest thing ever. I thought it was quite funny but I was more jealous than anything because I wanted to go to an expensive restaurant myself but couldn’t afford to.
Ah Becci is great. For reference, I paid for that dinner myself! It wasn't a freebie, I just treated myself.
Bet it was nice though! Anywhere else you recommend visiting in Brum?