Q. Gwen, how did you find out local news before the Town Crier as it was called was set up?

A. Only through the local newspaper which my daughter would read to me when she had the time after work, a very busy girl she was, she's a nurse. It's always having to be read to by someone.

Q. How did you come to be on the committee in the first place?

A. It was a friend of mine who was with me and we used to discuss the news when it was on tape, oh, it was available at that time but not very good quality and not always what you wanted...It was outsider the district and it was not always the local news we wanted; and it just grew from there- that it would be nice if we could have one of our own from Basildon. Then we started to think about it, and the first thing we thought, we'd get in touch with one of the local councillors...We had ideas there and in the end it came to advertising for people to come and help...and you were our first editor.