Welcome to the Evington Echo

The following is a very selected collection of items from past issues of the Echo. It is the personal view of Mike Stevens, one of our editorial team.

The very first issue consisted of 12 pages and was the only Echo that was printed on the now ubiquitous A4 paper. Subsequent issues have all been on foolscap. Click on the links to read about 'A New Arrival' and about The Evington Echo.

Issue 1 had only 10 adverts (compared to about 60 in the issue of December 2007 for example). There was an advert for Leicester Polytechnic, now De Montfort University.

A very early emergence in the press of Green Issues in the first sign of re-cycling. A bottle bank was opened near Waitrose

In addition there was an article about organic gardening, another topic that became fashionable in later years.

Where are they now? Two schoolgirls, then aged 9 (now 35 ish) won a Distinction Certificate from the British Theatre Dance Association. The girls were Rosemary Brooks and Amy Mee.

There was a first advertisement from the local store Bennetts; who continue supporting the Echo to the present day. Also another from Willdays who print the Echo and always have done.

A sign of the times, in the miscellaneous sales section: "Winkle Picker Shoes, Size 3 1/2 French Navy, Almost New, £5.50"

This issue also had a Travel Feature with adverts and articles from several travel agents. Air fares quoted included Majorca for £85 and Tenerife for £130 - which were expensive then in real terms compared with fares from low-cost airlines today.

Judgemeadow school had won a competition and the prize was the latest BBC minicomputer. The school already had one computer and was planning to add a third.

Judgemeadow also announced that they were starting Adult education classes and were asking for tutors in the following subjects: Bicycle maintenance, Beer brewing at home, Juggling, Discovering Evington, Knitting machines, Rambling and Aquarium keeping.

Babies: The announcement of the birth of a Royal Baby, Prince Andrew was accompanied with a baby associated with the Echo. The then co-editor, Angela Plowman gave birth to a baby boy, Joel Edward and a photograph of the one-day-old was printed in the Echo. Angela noted that the baby is getting used to the noise of a typewriter as she works on the paper.

Nothing changes: the Echo had lost the services of the Advertisement Manager, Pat Brooks who had decided to return to full-time employment. The Echo was urgently asking for a team of 4-5 people to help with this absolutely vital aspect of the paper. Advertising is by far the main source of income for the paper.

It was announced that the Leicestershire Cooperative Society would shortly be filing an application for planning permission to build a new Superstore. The site was part of the Coles Nursery and would cover 60,000 square feet.

It was reported that the Recreation and Arts Committee of the City Council had taken a preliminary decision to provide an indoor sports centre on Downing Drive, despite residents’ objections.