Background

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THE WAVENEY CLARION:

  • Ran monthly from February 1973 to July 1984
  • Was founded by the East Anglian Arts Trust to maintain contacts made at the first Barsham Fair
  • Covered the Waveney Valley, East Suffolk, Norwich and East Norfolk
  • Was non-profit making, but kept going by sales, events and loyal advertisers
  • Gave an alternative perspective on issues such as nuclear energy, food, border-line science, Cruise missiles and the future of rural communities
  • Was home to Mick Sparksman's famous 'Coypu' strip
  • Became one of the longest-running and most successful publications of the 'alternative press'
  • Is safely stored within the 'Fairs Archive' in the Suffolk Record Office, Lowestoft Library, Clapham Road South, Lowestoft NR32 1DR and is available to be read by the general public.

For more information and images of the people involved see the Who? section. See also our sections on the Clarion's infamous cartoon character Coypu, notable articles and pages in Features, plus the Summary of every issue.

Hear an interview about The Clarion on Norwich's Future Radio - drag the slider to about 16 minutes into the programme - or read the transcript (the PDF file will open in a new window).