The Visitor is a weekly paid-for newspaper published in Morecambe, Lancashire, England. It covers Morecambe and the surrounding district including Overton, Middleton, Heysham, Slyne, Hest Bank, Bolton-le-Sands and Carnforth. Until 2014 the paper was published from offices in Victoria Street, Morecambe by Lancaster & Morecambe Newspapers Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnston Press plc. From February 2014 the editorial base for the paper, along with sister newspaper Lancaster Guardian, was moved to new offices on the White Lund Industrial Estate, Morecambe. Printing of the paper is contracted elsewhere. As from 21 September 2011 the dateline for The Visitor changed from Wednesday to Tuesday. This reflected the fact that the newspaper was on sale in the shops from the Tuesday afternoon. It is sold around the Morecambe Bay area from Grange-over-Sands and Kendal in the north to Galgate in the south. History The newspaper was founded in 1874, the first issue being on Thursday 4 June 1874 at a cover price of 1d. It then had the fuller title, The Morecambe Visitor and General Advertiser, and consisted of four pages, 18 inches x 12 inches. The founding proprietor, George Bingham, had started the paper more as a service to the visiting holiday makers than the resident population, hence the origin of its name. Initially it was issued in the summer months only but after good sales George decided to publish it weekly throughout the year. A new office was opened in Victoria Street, Morecambe, which became the centre for both editorial and printing for many years. In 1898, Arthur Caunt joined the newspaper as a reporter and this started the long involvement of the Caunt family with the paper which lasted until 1986. Arthur took over as editor and proprietor in 1906 and formed the family company, The Morecambe Press Ltd. He remained in that role until he died in 1938. His son, James Caunt, then took over until he died in January 1959. Responsibilities then passed to James's son, Arthur. However, Arthur died 12 months later in a car accident, and his sister, Muriel Bates, found herself having to take the helm. After two years, Muriel passed the editorial role to an ‘outsider’, Derek Mosey, but remained as proprietor. The family finally sold the business in 1986 to United Provincial Newspapers, who then merged the paper with the Lancaster Guardian to be run jointly under the new subsidiary company,