Hastings & St. Leonards Observer

The "Hastings Observer" was first published in 1859 by local businessman Joseph Knight at 34 High Street, Hastings. The fledgeling newspaper faced financial difficulties and was acquired in 1866 by Isaac Parsons, a Rye-based printer and Methodist lay preacher. Parsons had established a stationery business in 1853 at 7 High Street, Rye and later expanded into newspaper publishing with the "Rye Chronicle". Encouraged by its success, he ventured into printing and publishing in Hastings.

In response to the success of the "Hastings News", launched in 1848, Parsons introduced the "Hastings Times", a local edition of the "Rye Chronicle". Following his acquisition of the "Observer" in 1866, he appointed his 22-year-old son, Frederick Parsons, to manage it, merging it with the "Hastings Times". On March 26, 1867, the newspaper merged with the "Hastings and St Leonards Herald", resulting in a shift in its publication day from Tuesday to Saturday. For several years after the merger, it was published under the title "Hastings and St. Leonards Herald and Observer".

During the late 19th century, Hastings had multiple competing newspapers with differing political affiliations. The "Hastings News" and several others aligned with Liberal politics, whereas the Parsons family, strong Conservative supporters, positioned the "Observer" as a pro-Tory publication. This rivalry fostered detailed and comprehensive local news coverage. However, the late-Victorian economic downturn led Conservative-supporting businesses to concentrate their advertising expenditure on the "Observer", resulting in the closure of all Liberal newspapers in Hastings by the early 20th century.

By 1876, Frederick Parsons had significantly expanded the business, constructing a large printworks in Claremont as part of a collaboration with Thomas Brassey, who developed the adjacent Brassey Institute, now the public library.

On the eve of the First World War, F.J. Parsons Ltd. had grown extensively, necessitating the construction of a new headquarters on the corner of Cambridge Road and Portland Place. Although the war delayed the project, the building was completed in 1924 and subsequently expanded along Portland Place.

In 1970, a nine-storey office block, now known as "Rock House", replaced the adjacent terraced premises on Cambridge Road to accommodate the growing printing and publishing operations. However, the early 1970s marked a period of decline for independent local newspaper companies such as F.J. Parsons Ltd. due to increasing technology costs, growing trade union influence, and national media group consolidations.

In early 1972, the Parsons family sold F.J. Parsons to magazine publishers Morgan-Grampian Ltd. Unable to manage the newspaper division effectively, Morgan-Grampian sold its newspaper titles in 1973 to Westminster Press Ltd. That same year, Westminster Press faced competition from the launch of the "Hastings News", a free weekly newspaper that quickly gained readership.

The publication faced further challenges due to national industrial action by the print union. The edition scheduled for May 3, 1980, was not published, marking the second disruption that year. On May 10, an "Emergency Edition" in tabloid format was released. This new format was well received, leading to a permanent transition from broadsheet to tabloid from that date forward.

Despite efforts to maintain operations, Westminster Press began downsizing in 1981, closing the general printing section. In 1982, the company relocated to new premises in Telford Road, Hollington, and fully vacated the Observer Building in Cambridge Road by 1984.

Since then, the "Hastings Observer" has undergone several changes in ownership, as have its former offices, "Rock House" and the "Observer Building". The latter has been repurposed into a multi-functional community enterprise under the leadership of local campaigner Jess Steele.

National World acquired the "Observer" in December 2020 from JPI Media, which had purchased it in late 2018 following the administration of Johnston Press. National World Plc, which owns multiple major publications, including "The Scotsman" and "The Yorkshire Post", was subsequently acquired by Media Concierge Ltd, a company owned by advertising executive Malcolm Denmark.

Images

• Images
• 

  F. J. Parsons Observer Ghost Sign 2023