TODAY is a very special date in the history of the T&A. Exactly 150 years ago, excited crowds gathered outside the offices of the Bradford Telegraph to watch the first edition roll off the press.

The Telegraph was Bradford’s first daily newspaper and people were so keen to get their hands on a copy that it had sold out within hours.

The paper has been at the heart of the local community ever since. It has reported on the city’s highs and its lows, campaigned tirelessly on local issues and always held local decision-makers to account.

In recent years it helped save the National Media Museum, highlighted the dangers of developers encroaching on green spaces and successfully campaigned for better dental treatment on the NHS. The Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal raised money to buy cutting-edge equipment that will enable a new generation of cancer therapies, potentially benefiting thousands of people.

And our Stop the Danger Drivers campaign led to a police crackdown on bad driving in the district and tougher punishments for motorists who treat the roads as racetracks.

We could not have done any of this without you: our loyal readers.

Many of you have been with the T&A for decades and for that we are truly grateful.

It doesn’t matter if you are old or new; if you read the paper or access the news and features at telegraphandargus.co.uk

To each and everyone of you we would like to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for your support.

A paper is only as a good as its readers – and you are truly the best.