WE HAVE now moved into our new home at Mill Lane House in Margate.

Last week in the Gazette we delved into the origins of the newspaper and some readers have been getting in touch to recall their memories.

Grandfather John Bax, 65, began working on the Gazette in March 1967. He was interviewed by the Printing Works manager Jack Punt after applying to a job ad which asked for "teletype operator required for busy Margate office."

The father-of-two began work in the Union Row offices. At the time, the journalists were based at 25 Cecil Square.

He said: "We used to receive the typed copy from the reporters that had gone through the editor or subeditor who would put on the setting instructions such as style and indents.

"It would come to us and be retyped according to the instructions onto paper tape via the teletype machine.

"The tape would then be given to the Linotype/Intertype operator for setting into solid type."

This would then be sent to the compositor to make the page up according to the editor’s layout for the page.

Mr Bax added: "I worked in Union Row for a year before production was moved to Sittingbourne, where I stayed for 28 years."

Mervyn Munson, 71, worked as a compositor in 1953 until joining the army in 1958. He served two years before rejoining the company for a further four years.

The Highfield Road resident said: "The owner John Parrett decided to bring back the Thanet Times because he didn’t want people standing around not doing anything until the print run for the Gazette on Friday.

"It was very noisy in there and the machines would go thump, thump, thump.

"The room where advertising used to be based was where all the reels were stored and people used to rest their bicycles against them."

Mr Munson worked alongside two of his brothers, while the third, Nigel, was a journalist who later worked as a sports writer in Whitstable.

We are now looking to the future which means a new way of placing your birthdays, obituaries or coming in with news stories.

New phone numbers.

To contact reporters call:

Acting editor Julia Rogers: 01843 578151

Eileen O'Brien: 01843 578153

Saul Leese: 01843 578152

Richard Spillett: 01843 578154

Thom Morris: 01843 578156

For general enquiries or personal ads ring reception on 01843 578150.

Our new address is: Suite 1, 3rd Floor, Mill Lane House, Mill Lane, Margate CT9 1JU.