University of the Third Age group enjoys insight to publishing at the Cambridge Independent

A group from the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Cambridge enjoyed a visit to the Cambridge Independent offices and a tour of the printing press.

Sixteen members of the local interest course titled Your Cambridge Take 2 - there’s another called Your Cambridge Take 1 - learned about the process of creating the newspaper and publishing online from editor Paul Brackley, and were told more about the publisher, Iliffe Media, from managing director Ricky Allan.

The group then toured the printing press at our site in Milton with Iliffe Print managing director Tracy Wright.

Nancy Cromarty, who co-ordinates the course with Alison West, said: “The course offers a group of around 25 participants a varied programme of talks and visits covering many aspects of people, places and life in and around Cambridge, both historically and in modern times.

“For instance, we have seen the rare and beautiful medieval manuscripts in the Parker Library at Corpus Christi College. We have heard about transport since the 1900s and the history of Mill Road, then modern-day happenings at Emmaus or the Samaritans.

“We couldn’t get more up to date than this visit, learning how the weekly Cambridge Independent was conceived, produced and printed. We had a really interesting afternoon.”