Marking fifty years of talking news

It was a time for reminiscing and celebrating the past and present as volunteers and visually impaired guests marked 50 years of a talking newspaper.

A huge cream tea party was staged in Tavistock Methodist Church Hall on Wednesday, September 30, for civic guests (from Tavistock, West Devon and Plymouth councils) and about 100 volunteers from Plymouth and West Devon Talking Newspaper (PWDTN).

Chris Dicken, chair of PWDTN, thanked the volunteers and civic dignitaries, Cllr Kevin Sproston, Lord Mayor of Plymouth and his companion Ms Cindy Wilcox, Cllr Chris Edmunds (Mayor of West Devon) and Cllr Jeff Moody (Deputy Mayor of Tavistock).

An archived recording of the first edition was played to the gathering, featuring a review of shop prices and the top issues of the day, back in 1976.

This was of great interest to the veteran volunteers who have over the years put in the hard work gathering news items and feature material for recording on tapes, CD and now memory sticks, and then packaging them up for delivery through the Royal Mail to the homes of about 200 visually impaired residents.

One of the most longstanding recipients is visually impaired Tracey McQuade, who is blind.

She said: “I love getting the talking newspaper. If it doesn’t come or is late, I do get annoyed. The recordings show that there is life after blindness. They have a great mix of news and conversation and features. I really look forward to it coming through the post, it makes my week.”

Tracey was introduced to the talking newspaper by her dad when she was ten: “It wasn’t appropriate for a child, but it’s got more important to my life and wellbeing over the years. At blind school we were told life was over, but I did become a music tutor for Manpower Services, which was good my self esteem, and the talking newspaper made me feel more connected with world. I can’t do without it.”

Tracey said her favourite recorded reader was Jenny Ashfold, one of the original PWDTN founding team.

Jenny was recruited by the founder Jill Perry, who came up with the idea of the service. Jenny said: “Jill was one of a kind, a charismatic person whose drive and powers of persuasion ensured the talking newspaper happened.

“She recruited other young mums like me to raise funds to buy recording equipment, to use the Tavistock Hospital nurses’ tiny home room and 13 groups reading pieces of local interest that weren’t big enough for TV and radio news, but would be of interest for sightless people to hear. All the local newspapers, including the Tavistock Times, agreed to us using their stores and the Post Office to deliver free of charge.”

Jenny’s team comprised an accountant, another mum and an evening class tutor and even produced recordings during the pandemic lockdown. The nurses home (with recording engineers and equipment on a trolley in the corridor) was superseded by the social services building at Abbey Rise and listener numbers later fell from a peak of 400, mainly due to improved eye care.

Newspaper article reader and chat volunteer Rob Palmer said: “We try and keep visually impaired listeners connected with everyday life and help them feel as though they are in the same room as us.”