THIS week is a momentous one for The Westmorland Gazette.

Two hundred years ago our very first edition rolled off the printing press and into the everyday lives of families across the county.

We are delighted to say Her Majesty The Queen has bestowed a Royal sense of occasion on this major milestone by sending "her warm good wishes to all concerned for a most successful anniversary year".

Ahead of our 200th birthday celebrations, Gazette editor Andrew Thomas wrote to The Queen to express our "loyal greetings" on the occasion of our bicentenary.

Mr Thomas was following in the patriotic footsteps of the Gazette's directors, editor and staff back in 1968, who did just that to mark our 150th anniversary.

Those were the days of clattering typewriters, hot-metal printing presses and black-and-white film photography; so much has changed in journalism and the world since then.

But Her Majesty's messages of 50 years ago and today both convey the very same warmth and good wishes to this newspaper and our readership.

In May 1968 the 42-year-old Queen - pictured in her glittering diamond tiara - warmly congratulated "all associated with the production of the newspaper on this notable anniversary".

Those same sentiments echo through the decades in her 200th anniversary message, where she thanks us for our "thoughtfulness" in sending the "kind letter of loyal greetings" - and sends her "warm good wishes" to Gazette staff and readers.

To celebrate 200 years since our first edition, we have published a souvenir 48-page supplement capturing the Gazette's history and the colourful characters and stories that have enriched its pages over two centuries.

This special keepsake edition is now on sale across the Lake District and South Lakeland for £1.50 and also at the Gazette offices in Wainwright's Yard.

The Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry at Abbot Hall, Kendal, is hosting an exhibition called "From William Wordsworth to the Web - 200 Years of The Westmorland Gazette", featuring original bound copies of the paper, an old printing press and memorable stories from years gone by.

And you can see a different picture from our archives every day until the end of 2018 at www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk