The way papers like this one are put together is incomparable with years gone by. Whereas everything is now digital, once upon a time copy - the stories you read - was originally set in hot metal and placed in page format before being sent to print. Pictures were also produced in metal. One man who witnessed those changes first-hand is former Essex County Newspapers employee Peter Barfield. Mr Barfield, who lives in Great Horkesley, started at the company in 1954, at the original QB Engravers, and served with distinction for 40 years. In the last couple of years, the 83-year-old has used his experiences and memories to put together a booklet called The History of the Colchester Newspaper Group.