A little boy was recently featured in one of our editions.

He was not part of the story or even the main picture but he was so excited because he had never been in the paper before.

It was good business because he made all his family buy a copy of the paper!

All today's photos were taken 50 years ago in 1973 - and several have been on exhibition at Tullie House.

Looking at the photos, though, had me wondering how big a deal it was for some of these people to be in the paper.

Fifty years ago, of course, we didn't have Facebook or Instagram, Twitter etc so our faces were not being splashed everywhere, and we weren't sharing everything we ate with a picture on social media.

In those days it might have been a big deal to be in the paper. There are many like that little boy who are still delighted to have their story printed and, thank goodness for them or there would be no newspapers at all!

I wonder how many of the children of Fire Service staff who were at the 1973 Christmas party are still around the area now and do they remember their photos being taken?

There are those for whom having photos taken was part of their way of life.

Hughie Green, for instance, looks as though he was quite comfortable hamming it up for the camera.

Carlisle United footballers would have seen their photos in the paper most week but, hopefully, not often when they were having to kneel in snow and ice for the team photo. Can you get frostbite on bare knees?

Some things never change. I am sure in 1963 we ran pages of school nativities, we did in 1973 and we will be doing it again in 2023 - which is a reminder to all schools to get your nativity or end-of-year photos to us, please.

Again, you wonder how many of these little angels are still here and if they remember their part in their nativity?

There is something so special about looking back on old photos. You may spot yourself or a friend or relation. It might prompt memories of an occasion or a meet-up with old friends.

And event today, with so much technology, there is something special about being featured in the paper. I should know. I won a Lions International Essay competition in 1965 or 1966. I don't know if the editor of that paper was sexist or lazy but the headline read: "Girl wins essay competition!"

We've hopefully come along way since then!