THERE is still time to get hold of a copy of a special commemorative supplement to mark the 200th anniversary this year of The Westmorland Gazette.

It was on May 23, 1818, that the first edition of the newspaper first appeared in Westmorland. The poet William Wordsworth played a part in the founding and one of its first editors - although his tenure was short-lived - was another Romantic poet Thomas de Quincey.

The commemorative supplement - which is now on sale at local outlets and at the Gazette's Reception in Wainwright's Yard at Kendal - contains an extensive history of the newspaper, along with many old photographs of the premises and staff in years gone by.

It also reveals how the newspaper has reported major incidents over the past 200 years, from the Coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838 - just 20 years after the paper was founded - through to the opening of the M6 in 1970, the Shap air crash in 1999 and the Windermere speed limit controversy.

There are special articles on famous Westmorlasnd characters, including Wordsworth and fellwalker Alfred Wainwright.

And three former chief photographers - Mike Barker, Paul Bramham and Steve Barber - select their favourite images, including Joan Collins at Windermere with a giant model pike in 1982 and the salvaging of Donald Campbell's Bluebird in 2001.

News Editor Mike Addison reveals how the paper is put together each week; there are sections of how the Gazette covered both world wars; a history of advertising in the paper; and a focus on the Gazette's army of community correspondents.

Westmorland Gazette editor Andrew Thomas said: "The supplement is a comprehensive look at how The Westmorland Gazette has been shaped by - and helped to share - this area for the past two centuries.

"We are proud of the paper's long history and really hope people will enjoy the supplement, which is a real keepsake."