A Tallentire man who first agreed to write a church newsletter 50 years ago is still producing them.

The Rev Mike Jackson was ordained at Winsford, Cheshire, in 1966.

He said: "As the newly-ordained minister I was volunteered to do the newsletter."

As his career progressed he has continued in his editor's role through various churches.

Nine years ago Mr Jackson and his wife, Liz, one of the first women to be ordained as a priest in England, retired to Tallentire.

Shortly afterwards he agreed to produce Cockermouth United Reformed Church's newsletter. He is also in charge of Cockermouth Rotary Club's newsletter.

Mr Jackson, 79, said: "There's always a need for local information. Even as a teenager a group of us started producing a magazine which involved interviewing people in the south Yorkshire village where I grew up.

"It runs in the family. My daughter, Ruth, produces Dearham Crack and one of my sons, Andrew, is head of publishing for the Methodist Church."

Production methods have changed hugely in the half century and, Mr Jackson said: "Email is a blessing.

"The technology has changed so much over the years but I still start out with that blank page.

"Fifty years ago producing a church newsletter involved using a typewriter not a keyboard.

"The master copy of the newsletter was then sent by post to a printing firm 40 miles away and 10 days later it was posted back.

"Later on there were duplicator stencils. I used to type on very thin paper which had a backing sheet. If you made a mistake you used nail varnish to cover it. I would then put it into a drum and hand crank it.

"In 1979 or 1980 I had one of the first electric typewriters which could store 150 characters. That was state of the art.

"I also remember getting the first photocopier. That was a boon but you had to mix ink with fluid and get it exact."
Mr Jackson is always appealing for people to contribute and likes to throw in a few jokes.