The Queen sends ‘warm wishes’ as West Sussex County Times celebrates 150 years

Editor in chief Gary Shipton received the news in a letter from Her Majesty’s head of operations, private secretary’s office, Andrew Paterson.

“The Queen has asked me to thank you for your kind letter of loyal greetings on behalf of all those associated with the West Sussex County Times, sent on the occasion of your One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary which is being celebrated in March,” Mr Paterson writes.

“Her Majesty appreciated your thoughtfulness in writing as you did and, in return, has asked me to send her warm good wishes to you all for a most memorable anniversary.”

The newspaper, which has served the community in a number of guises since 1869, today produces an historic special edition to commemorate the landmark.

In a nod to 14 decades of tradition, this supplement comes in traditional broadsheet format.

Inside this special edition there are a number of articles from senior local figures such as Horsham MP Jeremy Quin and fine art expert Rupert Toovey, who dig deep into the newspaper’s rich history.

Mr Shipton writes about the strong leadership which helped secure the West Sussex County Times’ legacy.

He said: “As our 150th anniversary this month proves – brands like the West Sussex County Times that are committed to fearless, honest local journalism may not please all the people all the time but they endure as a power of trust and an unassuming force for the public good.”

We also republish some of the most iconic front pages from the past 150 years, along with news about a very special County Times exhibition that is currently being held at the fabulous Horsham Museum.

We hope that you enjoy reading this slice of local history as much as we did producing it.

We will also be celebrating online and looking back at famous people who have been featured in the paper, plus the changing face of the Horsham district.

We thank you for your continuing support and look forward to your feedback.

An exhibition charting the history of the County Times is currently on at Horsham Museum.