Send us your City Times stories
We would like to connect with residents who featured in the City Times over the years and anyone wanting to share a memory or congratulations with us in celebration of the newspaper's centenary
As you may already be aware, the City Times turns 100 this year.
With the assistance of dedicated local historian Glynis Cox Millett-Clay, we have identified September 10 as being the first day the publication hit the streets back in 1921.
According to archive material Glynis found, the first editorial written by William H Hills (editor-in-chief) for the first edition of the Benoni City Times travelled the streets of Benoni on bicycle handlebars on September 10, 1921.
The editorial read: “Today, we publish the first number of the “Benoni City Times” and “Benoni Volksblad”. It may be urged that the time is not opportune, but if everyone waited until the economic barometer indicated ‘set fair’, nothing would be started”.
By the 27th edition of the City Times, it claimed: “The largest local sale of any East Rand newspaper”.
William Hills remained editor-in-chief until his death in 1959.
Go back in time with us
The City Times invites readers across the globe to share their memories of the newspaper with us, make new memories for our readers and/or send messages of congratulations in honour of our centenary.
• Did you feature in the City Times? Do you still have the clipping? Tell us about it.
• Did you make the front page of the City Times? Tell us about it.
• Are you an 80 or older resident of Benoni who has lived in the city all your life? Get in touch with us! We would love to reminisce with you about Benoni and stories which made the pages of the City Times.
• Is your school as old as we are? We’d love to hear from schools which are over 50 years old and still going strong in Benoni, and especially schools who are 100 or older.
• Is your business as old as we are? Businesses that have been in Benoni for 60 years and upwards are welcome to tell us how they used the newspaper as a vehicle to get the word out about their products and services .
• Did you regularly interact with City Times’ journalists or advertising staff? Tell us who you remember always coming around or contacting you for stories and advertising.
• Are you a former council member/mayor of Benoni going back many years? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the politics of the day and how it was portrayed in the newspaper.
• Are you just starting a business from scratch this year? Amid Covid-19, this is indeed a bold endeavour. Tell us the back story and get yourself into the annals of history in this special centenary year of the City Times.
• Are you getting married this year? Have you already married this year? Be part of history-making by telling us about your Covid-19-compliant wedding.
• Tell us about your experiences in Benoni surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. As much as we would like to eradicate it from our city’s history books, Covid-19 has affected Benonians as much as anyone else in the world. Share you stories and be part of the 100-year reflection of news reporting on the pages of the City Times.
• Send us a photo of yourself with your City Times fresh out of your postbox and tell us why you love your local newspaper.
All submissions can be emailed to benonicitytimes@caxton.co.za or contact the editor, Lana O’Neill, on 011 425 0164.
ALSO READ: City Times turns 100!
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