York Talking News Celebrates its 50th Anniversary

Our friends, and supporters, York Talking News, are celebrating their 50th Anniversary and continue to bring local news to those living with a visual impairment, or who struggle to access the news in a paper format. They let us know just how it all began and how they are moving forward after this great celebration…

In the autumn of 1975, the City Council advertised for interested people to meet to discuss the possibility of producing an audio news magazine for the blind and partially sighted. Over the next few months, funding was organised through donations from the public, Rotary and the Lions, many of whom also volunteered to read and organise the production and distribution of the publication, and the Council which put up £1000. A charity was set up, the Post Office offered free of charge posting facilities as long as we only used music that had been commissioned for the publication and that any material had to be already in the public domain. In March and April of 1976 two dummy audio cassette tapes were produced. By September, the team were ready, and York Talking News began life in 1976 as York and District News for the Blind. Don Peacock from the Blind and Partially Sighted society, was the first chairman, Harry Holmes was Editor, Peter Jackson, Producer and Technician and the readers on the first edition which went out at the beginning of October 1976 were Joanna Browne, Nigel Emery and Graeme Robertson.

The first recording took place in ‘The Shack’, an out building in the garden of one of the team, it was almost ideal, having tea and coffee making facilities and a WC.

The material was collected from The Press, or Evening Press as it was in those days, the Yorkshire Post and a little later the Dalesman joined the livery. Our jingles, written especially for us, have been in constant use from the first edition and are our audio logo.

Listeners came to us, mostly through The Blind and Partially Sighted Society and word of mouth. By the 12th edition 80 copies were regularly being sent out and by the 375th edition we had a solid circulation of 250 listeners.

Our team of readers are regulars and our listeners get to know their voices. The most well-known voice of all is Graeme’s. He read on our very first edition and on almost all of them since, that’s 50 years of service and perhaps 575 editions – we do let him have a holiday once in a while! He also volunteers as a Minster Guide and is delighted when any of our listeners recognise his dulcet tones and speak to him. After 50 years, of introductions, messages and the last word on each edition, together with reading each month, Graeme has decided that it’s time he stepped back and will retire from the York Talking News on our 600th edition. We shall miss him and our regular listeners will too.

The format of the news magazine was originally 50% news items and 50% magazine articles usually with a local or amusing theme. This format has served very well at keeping our listeners informed of local news. Initially the publication was constrained by the length of the cassette tapes, 45 minutes on either side. Duplication took up to 2 days as each tape had to be magnetically cleaned before re-recording and just 8 could be done at the same time taking 4 ¼ minutes for each group. The move to USB sticks made for faster duplication, 23 sticks at a time and completed in a couple of minutes.

COVID brought about more change and the team were proud to be able to send out each edition on time. It was not possible to meet to record but we managed for quite a few months, by having our readers read their articles over the telephone and our technician record from home. Our editor scanned the articles and emailed them to the readers a day prior to the recording. This proved to be very successful.

We have had a few different recording studios during our 50 years beginning in the Shack, moving to an office in Clifford Street, on to facilities in the original Wilberforce Trust buildings on Tadcaster Road, in Westminster Business Park in Poppleton and in Huntington. Today we are recording in the community room at Tesco, Askham Bar. We have been very grateful for the use of all of these premises and have worked with the various noise distractions, from the neighbours’ lawn mowers in the Shack, the jingle from the sandwich delivery van in Poppleton, to the alarms and tannoy announcements in Tesco.

We shall be moving to a sound studio at York University, where the sound production is unfettered by extraneous noises. The format will continue to include local news and magazine articles but will also include What’s On in and around York. In this digital age, we are now available via our website, hosted by the Talking News Federation, to which we have been affiliated for many years, and via your smart speaker.

York Talking News is an audio news magazine for anyone who is unable to process print unaided, whether by sight loss, the inability to hold a newspaper or book, or for any other reason.

If you would like to find out more about how York Talking News might be suitable for you, please do call Sue, she too is a regular reader, on 01904 652650, or simply try listening via our website: https://yorktalkingnews.mytn.uk

Here at the Trust we would like to say a big thank you to Graeme, and York Talking News, for recording our quarterly newsletter magazine, InSight.

InSight Magazine- Spring 2026

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

You can read the latest issue of InSight here or by clicking the image below-

Front page of Spring InSight.

You can listen to InSight here-

Letter from the CEO-

Welcome Emily and Chidinma-

Welcome to our new Trustees-

Club Wilber Easter Egg Hunt-

Weston’s Cafe-

International Women’s Day-

Charity Cook-off and Thank Yous-

InSight Magazine- Winter 2025

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

You can read the latest issue of InSight here or by clicking the image below-

The front cover of InSight's winter edition.

You can listen to InSight here-

Introduction

Letter from the CEO

Christmas at Wilberforce Trust

Club Wilber

Values, Christmas fundraising and thank yous

InSight Magazine- Autumn 2025

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

You can read the latest issue of InSight here or by clicking the image below-

The front cover of autumn InSight magazine

You can listen to InSight here-

Letter from the CEO

Connecting with the sector- YorSensory

Judi Dench

Club Wilber’s summer adventures

Club Wilber turns 6

Tenant’s Bridlington trip

Tinnitus Support Group

YOPA Fair

Visionary Award nomination

Stronger Starts fundraiser

InSight Magazine-Summer 2025

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

You can read the latest issue of InSight here or by clicking the image below-

You can listen to InSight here-

Letter from the CEO

YorSensory update; a new contract and working with Galloways

Club Wilber and LLZ

Befriending and thanks to Gild of Freemen

Room hire

InSight Magazine-Winter 2024

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

The front page of InSight magazine.

Click here or the image above to read the latest edition of our InSight Magazine.

InSight Magazine – Spring 2024

Our latest edition of InSight is out now.

This edition includes:

Click here or the image above to read the latest edition of our InSight Magazine.

InSight is available to listen to, page by page-

Page 1, introduction and letter from the CEO-

Page 2, networking-

Page 3, Sam’s Safari and coffee morning-

Page 4, Club Wilber update-

Page 5, YorSensory and sensory awareness training-

Page 6, a thank you to a volunteer and our contact details-