OUR sister title, the Westminster Extra is publishing its 1,500th issue today (Friday) – after more than 30 years in print.

Formerly the West End Extra, it was the brainchild of our late founding editor Eric Gordon who saw how the West End was crying out for its own local paper, free to read and stubbornly independent.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. And in 1994 the first stand-alone Extras launched in dispensers across Covent Garden, Soho, Marylebone and Mayfair. Eric would have raised a glass of some strong-smelling spirit to the toast this week’s milestone with a wink and a smile at its continued success.

The Extra’s competitors have over either folded or been swallowed-up by news websites chasing hits across the entire capital.

The Camden New Journal group ownership model is independent publishing in the truest form – there is no cost to the reader, no shareholders to satisfy.

People living outside the West End picture it as a place of clubs, pubs and shows – where visitors have a free pass and anything goes.

But few think about the actual people who make up the strong communities of Soho, Covent Garden, Marylebone and Mayfair. The Extra has always tried to be a voice for the people – from tenants living in unfit homes to shopkeepers businesses struggling to get by. Our reporters have covered huge national events, like the 1999 Admiral Duncan pub and the 7/7 bombings, to hospital campaigns and council meetings.

The Harrington diary page has been named after the Tribune’s former literary editor Illtyd Harrington.

The Tribune will celebrate its own milestone his year with an upcoming 1,000th issue.