24/07/2019
“The Spark” newspaper has sadly closed down. The paper, which was founded in 1993, covered a geographical area from Gloucester in the North to Totnes in the South, an approximation to the ancient kingdom of Wessex, and an area encompassing multicultural Bristol, alternative Glastonbury and Totnes, and the range of West Country rural areas with their traditions of organic farming and the many people who settled the region during the “back to the land” post hippie vibe of the 1970s. Specialising in cultural news, positive solutions and healing, the paper gave a voice to the many people, including LGBT folks, who were interested in alternative ways of life. In 2005, the paper organised the “One Last Book” campaign to settle the debts of the women run and LGBT friendly bookstore Green Leaf, which had ceased trading, and allowed the women involved to start the next chapter of their lives debt free. It was a supporter of LGBT inclusive spirituality and its classifieds sections permitted a great number of therapists and counsellors to offer their services. Among them, Michael Hughes, a gay hypnotherapist who is still providing a highly reputable service to this day. Darryl Bullock, whose column in the old “Venue” magazine had given a much needed structure to the weekly gay scene, for a time edited the Spark. The paper very nearly folded in 2016, but was saved by another progressive publisher, B247 Media. Sadly, the revenue for the Spark is no longer sustainable, and the current issue is to be the last. Nevertheless, B247 say that the spirit of the paper will survive in the pages of their flagship free newspaper called B247.
