THE town’s talking newspaper that folded in 2021, has donated its remaining assets to Frome charities – Frome Macular Society Support Group, Somerset Sight and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
In August, Somerset Sight and Frome Guide Dogs for the Blind each received £2,500, following a donation of £1,000 that was made last year to Frome Macular Group.
“When lockdown was lifted and listener numbers had fallen dramatically, it was decided that the charity should fold,” said treasurer, Jim Dowling. “Under the Frome Talking Newspaper (FTN) constitution, if the charity were to dissolve, all its assets should be donated to another charity that had similar objectives to FTN.
“The donation of the remaining assets brings closure to the invaluable and much appreciated service of 40 years for many people and by many people who gave their time to producing the Frome Talking Newspaper to the blind and partially sighted people of Frome and surrounding villages.”
Frome Talking Newspaper was founded in September 1980 with Major Peter Knight in the chair and Edith Butcher as secretary. The seven reader groups formed were: police, drama, Rotary, operatic, arts and Round Table.
“[A member of FTN] Stanley Nettle made up a demonstration tape to take round to potential listeners and by the launch of the first recording in February 1981 there were 65 recipients, a figure which rapidly rose to 80,” says Jim.
“In the early days, generating income to purchase equipment and tapes was essential and there are memories of a fun run organised by the Lions Club of Frome in September 1981 and mud splattered fund raising at Frome Cheese Show.
“In later years, the need to raise funds was less vital, partly due to the careful husbandry of the treasurer but also due to the generosity of local organisations and individuals.
“When the organisation began, the tapes were duplicated at Frome College, where all the equipment was kept but in 1984, 1985 all the apparatus was moved to the home of Gill and Alan Fone. Every Thursday, Alan recorded the reading in individual homes, returned home where he duplicated and inserted the tapes in plastic wallets with appropriate labelling, then taken to the Post Office.
“Over the 40 years that the Talking Newspaper was produced and delivered free by Royal Mail to each listener, there were only two occasions when the service was broken for a week, a postal strike in 1988 and severe weather in January 2010. Otherwise, it continued weekly throughout the year, apart from a two-week break at Christmas and the New Year.
“This was entirely due to the commitment of Gill and Alan Fone. The Frome Civic Award was made to Alan in 2010 followed by a Civic Award to Gill in 2021 to mark this achievement. The entire production of the recorded weekly news read from the Frome Standard and Frome Times would not have been possible without the totally loyal team of readers and engineers who were involved over the years. Huge gratitude goes to all of them. In 1994, the listeners peaked at 120.
“In 2010, there was a major change, when the Frome Talking Newspaper was merged with Frome FM. This meant that the recordings were made by engineers at the studios and now broadcast on Frome FM as well as being available online. There was now a new operational address – The Old Fire Station, in Christchurch Street West, Frome and then in 2017 a move to the Town Hall along with all equipment.
“Since 1980, there have been five chairmen, Major Knight, Judith Duffus, Gorden Lee, Gill Fone and Liz Andrew.
“In 2014, the Frome Talking Newspaper went digital with the listeners now receiving the weekly news on a memory stick. Each listener had a designated player which was personally delivered and demonstrated. They took to the change very well and easily coped with the change very well and easily coped with the digital age! The same postal operation continued.
“During ‘lockdown because of Covid, reading in the studio ceased in March 2020. Chairman Liz Andrew continued to read solely from her home each week from 2020 until 2021.”
