After 44 memorable years of printing a weekly paper that’s made our business what it is today, we switched off the machine, and gathered around to reminisce on all the fond memories with old friends. Alongside this, we said thanks to the remarkable people who played a massive role in the Friday-Ad journey. Without them, we wouldn’t be the multi-brand, globalised company we are today!
Photo: Our amazing print team
The Friday-Ad paper has been printed longer than a lot of FMG employees have been alive. Our iconic advertising paper was born in 1975 with the launch in Sussex as the UK’s first free classified paper. It came about after founders Chris and Liz Kidger needed to sell their car, but realised there was nowhere for them to advertise it. It inspired them to begin printing a 2 sided paper for all the locals to advertise their goods. This rapidly grew into a 12 page publication within a year.
The paper has always been printed in-house across various locations to accompany the company’s travels; 5 years at Caxton House, 21 years at Bellbrook, and 19 influential years at Sayers Common. Despite power cuts, breakdowns, floods and….even a hurricane, we never once missed a week on the stands! At its peak queues would form outside distributors every Friday morning, as locals scouted out all the latest bargains on offer.
Photo: Old Press, Bellbrook
Photo: Simbo
Since our beginnings, we’ve printed over a whopping 1 billion copies of Friday-Ad in total, but that figure doesn’t end there. The paper will continue it’s legacy but now be printed in Weymouth, by Newsquest who are well known publishing company printing for hundreds of regional and national papers, most of you would have heard of. Although the overall look and feel of the Friday-Ad will remain the same, we do have some exciting new features that will enhance the paper. The new paper will be full colour and has the potential to include glossy inserts, which will supply are reps with more sales opportunities!
