When the Ross Gazette was founded nearly 150 years ago, printing was carried out on the premises. This practice continued until modern technology led to the Ross Gazette being printed at a variety of locations over the years. Today it is printed at Newbury, along with dozens of other publications.

Printing in the early days was a highly skilled job and the Ross Gazette team were in demand to fulfil many requests from local businesses, clubs and individuals.

We are lucky to have a few examples of the work carried out by the Gazette going back nearly 100 years and it is fascinating to see them. They give an insight into the period in which they were produced.

For example, a small card decorated with an illustration of a pierrot and columbine is a dance card, printed for a function at Goodrich Court on December 29th, 1930.

Dances included the waltz, polka, Paul Jones and fox trot, and there was space alongside each dance for a woman to add the name of her prospective dancing partner.

Dance cards were an important part of social life in the early 20th century but have now disappeared, and so has the building where this dance took place, Goodrich Court.

Built by Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick, a passionate collector of armour, who wanted a castle to show it off to advantage. For a long time he tried to buy Goodrich Castle, but when this failed he decided, in 1828, to build his own castle on the adjacent hill.

Goodrich Court was meant to be part home and part museum. Guidebooks were published and servants trained to conduct visitors around the rooms which were full of his collections of antiques. Meyrick died in 1848 and the property was left to a cousin, who later sold it to the Moffat family.

The house subsequently passed, as a result of marriage, into the Trafford family of Hill Court. During the Second World War, Felsted School from Essex was evacuated to Goodrich Court and Hill Court at the invitation of Mrs Trafford.

However, like many large houses it fell to the demolition men in 1950 and little remains today apart from the gatehouse, the walled garden and adjacent stable block and Ye Hostelrie Inn in Goodrich village, rebuilt by Meyrick in a spiky gothic style.

Another example of printing work in the Ross Gazette archive was the menu and order of Toasts at the old Rossians Dinner and Dance, which took place at the Royal Hotel on Friday, January 11th, 1935.

The toasts included one proposed by the Chairman to His Majesty the King.

The menu featured clear julienne soup, fried fillets of sole with anchovy sauce which was followed by Peach Melba, mince pies or wine jelly.

Also amongst the archive is a card giving the ‘terms’ for a stay at the Chasedale Hotel. This is undated but guests could have a single room, with full board, attendance, bath and light for three guineas. Early morning tea was an extra 6d. It would be interesting to know when having a light in a hotel room was not considered worthy of mention.

There are also a few examples of cards produced to advertise production at the New Theatre, Ross by members of the Ross Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. In April, 1929 they produced the Sport of Kings ‘the great racing comedy’ and tickets cost between 3/6 and 1/3.

An invitation to the Annual General Meeting of ROADS, which although undated is probably only a few years later is also among the papers. On the back is a list of the Society’s achievements and the Sport of Kings is featured among the plays performed in the 11 years since it was formed.

The invitation asks as many residents as possible to attend the meeting in the Constitutional Club Ross, at the Crown and Sceptre Hotel.

The Ross Gazette also printed invitations for customers, including one for a ‘coming of age’ party at the Melody Club, Ross on February 11th, 1935.