Mexborough and Swinton Times July 24, 1937

Wath’s Past And Present

60 Years of Progress

(by “Montgomery”)

It scarcely seems 10 years ago since I took up my pen to write a few reminiscences of my connection with this paper on completion of the 50 years of publication, but I was reminded last week that on 20 July it would celebrate its diamond jubilee.

Possibly it may be that my contributions are less frequent than usual, nevertheless my interest in the “Times” in nonetheless sincere, but I shall never forget its genial founder, the late Mr Walter Turner, and association with him, not only as a “local” but also as a personal friend, during the days of its early inception

10 years ago I endeavoured to recount my lengthy connection with the quotes Time” and the part it has played in bringing before the public items of news which, but for the initiative of the founder, we might only have had from “hearsay,” or, in a very condensed form from its daily contemporaries. It is pleasing to note that the “Times” is still going strong, and that its foundations has been well and truly laid.

I well remember my late grandparents (Mr E. Lineham) returning from his collecting rounds at Mexborough on Monday evening, and producing from his pocket of first issue of this “Local,” the product of the founder, the late Mr Walton Turner, who was an intimate friend of his. It was a two sheet issue only, but it contained the essence of the local news, and was “Just the thing required,” I believe was a remark at the time. And so it proved.

The population of Wath upon Dearne six years prior to the lodging of the “Times” (and Wath Gazette), namely in 1871 was only 2025. 10 years later it was 3500, and it is safe to say that at least 1/5 of the population of that day were subscribers. After contributing several items of news to its column, the late Mr Turner invited me to become a regular contributor, and I followed the late Mr Sam Watson, and the late Mr William Baker, not only as a “newsgatherer,” but the writer of a column of weekly gossip, and the reporter of many local events.