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The editor looks back…
The Archer was born in the winter of 1993 as the result of one man bouncing the idea off another in a pub. It is reported that they had consumed too much Abbot Ale but who cares? The result was a good one. Andrew Taylor had the idea and set up the newspaper with a handful of volunteers.
Local issues
The purpose of the newspaper was quite simply to foster a sense of local community.
Other so-called local newspapers covered large stretches of north London. East Finchley hardly featured.
The first edition was A4 without pictures. Just look at it now! But no sooner was it set up than it almost collapsed …
YEAR 1 - - Our founder left us in the first summer as a result of a "team building" meeting which fell seriously short of its name!
The 15 remaining volunteers met in a hut on Strawberry Vale Estate and each coughed up £50 to keep the paper going.
Then The Archer suddenly had a competitor. Team member Malcolm Griffiths went and set up his own paper, the Muswell Record, which despite its name included East Finchley in its circulation.
YEAR 2 - - - The Archer committed its first libel. Our crime reporter got her facts in a twist and forgot to use the word "alleged". The editor lost a lot of sweat.
The good news was that the paper got written up in The Guardian: the paper applauded our efforts.
YEAR 3 - - - The editor got reported to the Cat Protection League for his "spoof" article which discriminated against cats. Well, he said it was a spoof.
YEAR 4 - - - Something of a crisis year: Our cash flow dried up, our debts mounted. Drastic action and an auction, generously supported, saved the day.
YEAR 5 - - - A year of consolidation. Finance under control, no libels, Young Archer page the best it had ever been. New recruits come aboard.
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