By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight Observer is six years old today – and we share our birthday with another successful Newport business.
Your favourite local newspaper launched on August 10, 2018 – and since then we’ve gone from strength to strength.
A major challenge was of course the Covid pandemic – when we gave up our original office in St Thomas’ Square in Newport and the team worked from home until we opened our new office just around the corner in St James’ Square (next to Barclays Bank) earlier this year. That has enabled us to expand our team and we’ve got some exciting developments to share with our readers over the coming weeks.
Carole Dennett, editor, said: “It was a big gamble to start a new newspaper on the Island – the first week we published, staff from the IW County Press stood outside our offices giving away their newspaper for free. It rather backfired because it just made my team even more determined to succeed. The County Press’s conversion to a free newspaper was short-lived – but ours is permanent.
“The media market on the Island has changed completely, competition has brought down advertising costs for all Island businesses and the IW Observer has built a reputation for challenging the establishment where necessary and standing up for Islanders.
“Thank you to all our readers, advertisers and stockists for helping us get where we are today. We are by a long way the Island’s favourite newspaper and my brilliant team are all excited by our plans for the future.”
The IW Observer distributes 18,500 copies every week and has more than 5,000 digital subscribers.
And it’s five years for Snacks and Ladders
Since opening in 2019 at 66 St James Street, in Newport, Snacks and Ladders café has grown into a much-loved community hub. Friends and families gather to enjoy a vast library of games in a relaxed and welcoming environment, complemented by great locally-sourced food and drink.
The café started with just 24 covers in its original location and quickly became a popular destination. Due to the overwhelming support from customers and the need for more space, in 2022 Snacks and Ladders moved to a new venue just a few doors away at 70 St James Street. The location boasts 70 covers, allowing the café to welcome more guests and enhance the overall experience.
The game library has expanded from around 200 to over 850, with international brands sending in games to showcase to visitors. The café offers something for everyone, with games that span a wide range of interests and ages.
“We are incredibly grateful to reach this 5-year milestone,” said Chris Longhurst, co-owner. “It’s been a rollercoaster, especially the first couple of years, but thanks to our amazing team and the incredible support of our friends and family, we’ve built a great place where people can escape from the real world for a while.”
Happy birthday to both of us!