A COMMUNITY newspaper in Flintshire has published its 150th edition after 37-years.

In February 1987, the very first edition of 'The Five Villages' was published in Holywell. A local newspaper covering the villages of Carmel, Gorsedd, Lloc, Pantasaph and Whitford.

As explained in the edition, a public meeting by Whitford Community Council was held in Carmel Village Hall to discuss the formation of the paper brought to residents by four local reporters. They were Len Jones, Jane Pope, Frank Roberts and Terry Withington.

Financed by advertising and a community council grant, the paper is delivered free of charge to every house in the community.

37-years-later, and the much-valued newspaper has developed into the impressive quarterly magazine it is today.

Now produced by a committee of seven-members, it is published every quarter when 1,300 copies are printed and distributed by a team of 40 volunteers to every household in the area.

Last month, the 150th edition has published after being recognised in 2023 by Whitford Council with a Community Award.

Editor Jonathan Duggan-Keen said: "At the Five Villages Chronicle we are really proud of what we do.

This community magazine is much valued by residents of the five villages and by many more friends and former residents.

"In an area that has no local shops for people to meet and chat, along with three churches, two schools, and now only one pub, the Five Villages Chronicle certainly helps “bind the community”.

"We get regular reports from the local schools and sports and other clubs and this also helps to keep them going with new members being recruited all the time. We carry features on local wildlife, the council news and the events held in our community spaces.

"Our advertisers are the main source of our funds and we are proud of the fact that many of them have appeared in our paper for many years. Nearly all are local so this helps our readers as well.

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"I have been editor for a decade now and before that we had an editorial committee. The founding editor, Terry Ireland, is still a member of the committee.

"For me it is the extraordinary variety of articles which come in: tales of 'adventures' in the mountains; news of cricket club successes; local art exhibitions; weather and satellite reports and the most amazing photographs."

Additional copies may be available in Holywell Library and some pubs and cafes within the Five Villages area.