The end of an era
Graham Breeze celebrated his 70th birthday by informing his partners at MyTown Media that he was stepping down 12 years after launching the MyWelshpool and MyNewtown on-line news sites.
“Launching MyWelshpool and MyNewtown 12 years ago was a really brave move with weekly and evening newspapers as opposition but the business has grown year-on-year,” said Graham.
“But I now feel it is time to stand aside with the MyTown Media business well established and thriving and I leave it in really good hands.
“It has been an amazing adventure starting an on-line news and advertising business. We survived the financial crash, Brexit and Covid-19 to emerge stronger than ever.”
Graham is a former Editor of the Powys County Times and Editor In Chief and Publishing Director of weekly titles owned by North Wales Newspapers – now part of Newsquest.
He joined the County Times as a trainee straight from school, rising through the ranks to the editor’s chair.
At North Wales newspapers he oversaw a restructuring of the company’s editorial teams and systems and lead redesigns of all the weekly titles.
Graham later joined Midland News Association (MNA) where he helped trial the company’s new editorial system (Knowledge)and was launch Editor of the Oswestry & Border Chronicle – a weekly free launched in direct opposition to Newsquest titles in the area.
In 2010 along with two former County Times colleagues David Williams and Owain Betts he helped launch MyWelshpooland MyNewtown – two of the first on-line hyperlocal sites in Wales.
He also helped launch the Independent Community News Network (ICNN) in conjunction with Cardiff University as an Advisory Board Member and is a former Chairman of the North West Guild of Editors, an area stretching from Mid Wales to the Scottish borders.
“It’s been an absolute rollercoaster of 53 years in the business and it’s hard to believe where the time has gone but I have loved every minute of it,” said Graham.
“Being entrusted with an editorship is an absolute privilege and was unimaginable when I left school as a wet-behind-the-ears 16-year-old with a chip on his shoulders. Along the way many people have put a lot of faith in me and I hope I have not let them down.
“In 53 years, I have met and worked with so many brilliant people, enjoyed years of prosperity in the industry and endured the worst economic crisis the newspaper world had ever seen.
“The most rewarding thing has been to see so many of the people I helped recruit develop into leading figures in the media world. It is so pleasing to see how they have developed and to still be in regular contact with so many of them,” said Graham.
Six years ago, Graham won a by-election to represent Welshpool as an Independent member of Powys County Council, six months later he was re-elected and in May this year was returned unopposed again for another five-year period.
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