A couple of listers have asked me to give more information on local newspapers in the Forest, and I thought this might be of use to others. The major source for newspapers of all stripes is The British Library, Newspaper Library, Colindale, London. They have a website with a searchable database of their holdings. Go to : http://www.bl.uk/collections/newspaper/newscat.html Colindale is certainly where I examined those Forest papers I've had time to check. In the provinces it may be more difficult. Certainly when I asked at the Local Studies Centre at Gloucester Central Library last year they had no Forest papers, which surprised me. The British Library sell microfilm copies of much of their holdings. No idea of cost, but I imagine they sell to individuals as well as institutions. Maybe a group of researchers could club together, or a local history society pay for it from their funds. Whether the original publishers still exist, have files of their published output, and allow access I don't know. That's a matter for a bit of research. All this would well repay the effort. The newspapers really do contain a wealth of family history data. A long-term plan might be to index the names contained in each issue, but it's a task for a sizeable workforce. I look forward to that day, Keith Chandler Oxfordshire

The Forester, which bought up most of the old Forest titles, has recently been taken over by the group who own the Citizen and the Echo. This lot have a website called http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/, there may be a contact from there. The other paper that now covers the Forest is the Review, they too are part of a larger group and have a web page at http://www.lydney-today.co.uk/index2.cfm (or www.internet-today.co.uk). This publication incorporates The Forest Weekly News. Ian Coghlan Pillowell Gloucestershire ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: 17 May 2001 22:37 Subject: [FoD] local newspapers > A couple of listers have asked me to give more information on local > newspapers in the Forest, and I thought this might be of use to others. > > The major source for newspapers of all stripes is The British Library, > Newspaper Library, Colindale, London. They have a website with a searchable > database of their holdings. Go to : > > http://www.bl.uk/collections/newspaper/newscat.html > > Colindale is certainly where I examined those Forest papers I've had time to > check. In the provinces it may be more difficult. Certainly when I asked at > the Local Studies Centre at Gloucester Central Library last year they had no > Forest papers, which surprised me. The British Library sell microfilm copies > of much of their holdings. No idea of cost, but I imagine they sell to > individuals as well as institutions. Maybe a group of researchers could club > together, or a local history society pay for it from their funds. > > Whether the original publishers still exist, have files of their published > output, and allow access I don't know. That's a matter for a bit of research. > > All this would well repay the effort. The newspapers really do contain a > wealth of family history data. A long-term plan might be to index the names > contained in each issue, but it's a task for a sizeable workforce. > > I look forward to that day, > > > Keith Chandler > Oxfordshire > >