From Strength to Strength

An Englishman by the name of John Mennon arrived in Glasgow in 1782 and proceeded to establish a newspaper called the Glasgow Advertiser, later renamed the Glasgow Herald. This was no mean achievement considering that his total assets at that time consisted of a wooden printing press and £200. Today the Glasgow Herald’s circulation has risen to 200,000, but there were times, while it was still a new venture, when it appeared on the verge of foundering. What saved it was John Mennon’s boundless enthusiasm. No matter how adverse the circumstances, or how serious the differences between his partners and himself, he still found the grit and energy to forge ahead. Far from closing its doors, his newspaper went from strength to strength.

Having originally been printed on a fairly primitive, hand-operated press, it is now being printed on highly sophisticated automatic machines. Gone are the days of typesetting and metal infusion. Now the letters are projected on to the plates by laser beam. Printing and folding are carried out automatically, then wrapped in polythene. The batches of newspapers are then taken to the dispatch department. The whole process has been streamlined and speeded up by computerization. It is a matter of great satisfaction to both proprietors and readers that the newspaper survived long enough to benefit from all these new and improved techniques. Few are aware that it almost ceased publication before the end of the eighteenth century.

Its continuing to be published is thanks, principally, to the enthusiasm and perseverance of its founder. Indeed, no great work can be sustained and brought to perfection without these qualities. Even tasks of lesser magnitude require great keenness and consistent hard work, very often over long periods, if they are ultimately to be successful.