Faversham Life
Faversham Life
Words Amicia de Moubray Photographs Amicia de Moubray
‘Faversham is a place with an amazing character. There is lots of creativity,’ says Bronagh Miskelly, the first editor of the recently launched Faversham Firework. ‘It’s a very exciting thing to be involved with.’
We at Faversham Life are delighted that the Faversham Firework aim, like ours, is to celebrate our beloved town.
The Firework is one of 10 titles published by Brightside Publishing. Each newspaper has the same template, but each is unique in content to its own town with between 20 and 25 pages of editorial. There is a core advertising team for all the publications.
The first in the stable was the Margate Mercury launched some 10 years ago. The others are the Ramsgate Recorder, the Broadstairs Beacon, the Whitstable Whistler, the Deal Dispatch, the Folkestone Foghorn, the Canterbury Courier and the Rochester Radar.
The name Faversham Firework alludes to the thriving gunpowder industry that once upon a time Faversham was well known for.
Bronagh is wildly enthusiastic about the town. She is fizzing with ideas – there is such a lot to write about. She and her partner arrived in Faversham four years ago. ‘We wanted to live somewhere where we could become very involved in the local community.’ They had an auspicious start – after collecting the keys to their new home they popped into Furlongs for a drink and within minutes were being introduced to everyone in the pub. ‘They were so friendly, telling us all the different activities you could sign up for.’ Bronagh’s partner helps in the Museum of the Faversham Society and often drives the community bus. Bronagh herself is one of the ‘orange army volunteers ‘ who help at the annual Faversham Literary Festival. ‘One moment you are with a children’s author and everyone is dressed up as a carrot and next you are sitting on a radiator with Jeanette Winterson.’
Bronagh Miskelly, the Editor of the Faversham Firework
The Firework will have a page devoted to volunteering activities each issue. The plan is to publish four times a year, with a print run of 3,500, and distribute around the town in various shops and the Visitors’ Centre. Among the delights of the first issue is an excellent shopping page showcasing merchandise on sale in the town, and features on a wide range of topics including the Community Boat Build, Brenley Wine and local printmaker Tina Hagger.
Social media has been crucial in setting up the Faversham Firework. Bronagh was alerted to the job by a friend who saw a post advertising for an editor: ‘We are looking for new writers on social media.’ Her career to date has included working as an editor on publications in health and social care, as well as knitwear design, writing knitwear patterns (@bronaghknits). She is now running knitting courses in The Yarn Dispensary (see Faversham Life article).
Bronagh is keen to work with young aspiring writers. ‘We would welcome an approach from schools with a sixth-former keen to get into journalism.”’
The next issue is due out at the end of July.
@favershamfirework
Bronagh’s next workshop is:
Learn to Knit Colourwork Cables 4 July
https://www.theyarndispensary.co.uk/shop/classes-and-events/9
