A TALKING newspaper service has plenty to shout about just now.

Bradford's free, weekly lifeline for visually impaired people is celebrating its 30th anniversary by inviting celebrities and people who have appeared in the Telegraph & Argus to become guest readers.

And the first such reader in recording no 1,482 yesterday was Shipley MP Philip Davies.

An independent charity, established in 1985 by the late Tom and Doris Burgess, the Talking Telegraph (TT) is run entirely by unpaid volunteers. Over the years, it has brought a digest of news items from the T&A to many hundreds of listeners.

The volunteer readers, administrators, technicians and committee members are drawn from every walk of life. Several current volunteers have been with the organisation since its inception 30 years ago.

Originally on cassette, the TT has moved into the digital age and now records readings onto memory sticks and posts them out to listeners every week except Christmas and Easter. Listeners without MP3 players are also loaned players at no cost.

Local MPs George Galloway, David Ward and Kris Hopkins have also volunteered to become guest readers in the next few weeks. The politicians will be followed by a variety of Bradford-connected people from the sport, business and entertainment worlds.

Committee chairman Karen Stansfield, who is one of the 30-year volunteers, said: "We decided to mark this milestone year with readings by various guests. I am contacting anyone and everyone I can think of to act as guest readers during this year! I am waiting for various people to get back to me." The actual anniversary is not until September.

Until quite recently, recordings were made at Northcliffe church hall where the charity has use of a room. But now, work goes on at the Bradford Talking Media Studio off Manningham Lane, making use of up-to-the-minute equipment. "We really appreciate people providing such excellent facilities for us," said Mrs Stansfield.

"Gaining use of the studio has been a huge step forward." She said turnaround time from receiving the cuttings to making the recordings and sending them out is very swift.

At one point, TT catered for around 300 people but at the moment recordings are sent to about 80 listeners.

"But we want people to know we are still here and going strong," she said. "And we are on the lookout for more listeners and more volunteers."

To register a visually impaired person as a listener or to volunteer for the charity, contact 07908273899.