About Us

Established & Local

2023 is our 35th year of publication!

In 1988, when The Advertiser started, the Berlin Wall was still standing, mobile phones were the size of housebricks and the world wide web didn’t exist!

Through all of those changes, The Advertiser has kept going and is still thriving. 2023 marks our 35th year of continuous publication – an achievement we’re really proud of.

Learn more about our 35 year journey, successes and challenges.

The publication was set up in 1988 by Mike Foley. Born and bred in Royal Wootton Bassett, Mike’s aim was to service and promote local businesses to local people.

The initial distribution of a few thousand copies grew steadily over time. It’s a testament to Mike’s vision that many of today’s advertisers have continued to support the publication since its inception.

In December 2013, Mike handed the stewardship of this well-loved publication over to local business woman Sally Barker. Sally built on Mike’s work, expanding The Advertiser’s distribution, developing its pagination and design into full colour as well as making it available on-line.

Sally is dedicated to people buying locally where they can – local services for local people.

About Sally

Sally worked in the newspaper industry in the late 80s and has seen the publishing world evolve over the years. Her roles spanned advertising sales, project & business development management, and specialist publications and management. Changes in the newspaper world in the early 90s gave her the opportunity to become self-employed in marketing, graphic design and event management.

Sally’s design skills and experience in publishing have been advantageous in running this exciting publication. Having run her own graphics business for 20 years prior to buying the Advertiser, she understands the demands and issues her advertisers face in running their own businesses.

Royal Wootton Bassett, Lyneham and the villages have been her home for almost the same time that The Advertiser has been in existence, and though not born and bred here, she sees herself as a local.

“The Advertiser is not just a publication. It’s an opportunity to give something back to my community. I want local people to thrive in business as well as help local residents know who they can turn to when they need a service or product.”

– Sally Barker