As beyond celebrates its 20th anniversary, Andy Murray speaks to the man behind the magazine to discover how it all began and gets the lowdown on the launch of a new exhibition in September that will feature some of the publication’s most iconic covers and artwork.

As you enter the beyond office, your eyes are instantly drawn to the striking artwork, the framed signed pictures and the photographs of many a famous face.

It is testament to a life spent working in the world of newspapers, television and magazines and where for the past two decades one of Yorkshire’s longest-standing and best-loved independent publications has been produced.

Lining the walls are some of the magazine’s most iconic cover stars including everybody from David Hockney to David Bowie; Bielsa to Oasis and Amy Winehouse to Jimi Hendrix.

Welcome to beyond HQ, a converted loft space in the heart of Ilkley, where founder Mark Bowness and his team have just put this, the 20th anniversary issue of beyond to bed.

As milestones go, it is one that Bowness is particularly proud of given the torrid time the publishing world has endured in recent years but one he admits he never imagined he’d reach when issue one first hit the streets in August 2005.

But eighty issues on and the magazine has defied the odds and is still going strong.

He said: “It’s hard to believe 20 years have passed since Patsy Kensit graced the cover of our first issue and if you’d asked me back then whether we’d still be standing two decades later, I wouldn’t have put too much money on it.

“But thanks to an incredible team who have worked on beyond over the years we have continued to deliver and produce a magazine that has stood the test of time and one I hope people have enjoyed reading as much as we have enjoyed putting together.”

After five years working in Manchester on the infamous Daily Sport newspaper where he cut his teeth as a cub reporter, Bowness then moved to London in the mid 90s to join The Sun as a features writer before a stint working on Channel 4’s ground-breaking show The Big Breakfast as News Editor.

It was a time Bowness looks back on with great fondness and a hedonistic decade when living and working in London as a journalist on the world’s biggest-selling newspaper was the stuff of dreams.

He recalls: “It was an incredible time to be working in London and there was never a dull moment. It was the days of Oasis, Gazza, Spice Girls and a Britpop culture that meant you worked hard but partied harder and I loved every minute of it.”

By 2004 though, he was ready to return to his Yorkshire roots and the call of his hometown of Ilkley proved too loud to ignore.

He said: “After nearly 10 years in London I was ready to come home and on my return the intention was to work as a freelance reporter across Yorkshire for the nationals.”

However, when he arrived back and picked up a number of local lifestyle mags, he saw a gap in the market and his thoughts turned to publishing his own magazine. He decided to approach the Leeds Guide to help him launch it, and within a few months, beyond leeds, as it was initially known, was born.

“I remember how proud I was of that first issue and how it got the ball rolling because by issue two and three we had trebled the advertising revenue and it was suddenly the magazine that everybody was talking about.”

Looking back Bowness admits much of the content in those early days was tabloid driven with an emphasis on Sun-style headlines and celebrity interviews from his news desk days.

He said: “Some of those early headlines were pretty red-top but it was designed to make people sit up and take notice. We created a free magazine that had up to three or four celebrity interviews each issue and within a year we were attracting some big name advertisers such as Rolex, Jaguar, Harvey Nichols and Jet2.com.”

By 2006, Bowness broke away from Leeds Guide and went it alone, the magazine changed its name to beyond and for the next 14 years became one of the region’s most popular titles picking up various local and national accolades along the way.

But when the world came to a standstill in 2020 with the pandemic, the wheels very nearly came off beyond for good.

He said: “I honestly thought that was the end of it. For two years we had no revenue, we couldn’t write about anything, there was nowhere to distribute it and I seriously considered looking for a new career.

“Thankfully I was persuaded to give it one more go and we came back with a new design, changed the size and stock and gave it a more contemporary feel.

“The days of celebrity interviews had lost their appeal for me and I wanted the magazine to focus on local independent businesses, the artists, the creatives and the movers and shakers who were making a difference – those were the people I wanted to write about and for the past five years it has been their stories that have largely filled the pages.

“The advertising revenue is not what it was all those years ago but in recent years it has slowly crept back up and I think that says a lot about the publication we put out.

“In my eyes, there will always be a place for a good quality printed magazine that has great design, brilliant photography and engaging copy and no matter how much technology and social media has changed the publishing landscape, I’ll never stop banging the drum for traditional print.”

Over the past 20 years beyond has rubbed shoulders with royalty; come face to face with legends from the world of sport, music, film and TV; witnessed Yorkshire dominating the Olympic Games in London; enjoyed the Grand Depart racing through Yorkshire and endured two recessions and a global pandemic. Yet still survived.

Bowness added: “Beyond has provided me with so many great moments and opportunities over the years and I’m extremely grateful for what it’s given me.

“I’ve met some of Yorkshire’s greatest characters, the unsung businessmen and women who make this county so exciting, the risk-takers, the grafters and the amazingly talented people who have worked so tirelessly to make a difference to the lives of others.

“We’ve broken exclusive stories that have been followed up by the nationals, we got drunk with Marco Pierre White, we spent an unforgettable night with Jazzie B and woken up wondering where we were; we burnt the candle at both ends with the late Howard Marks and rolled over a car bonnet with Starsky.

“I don’t know many other jobs that would have afforded me those sorts of pleasures and I’ll be forever thankful for that.

“To all the incredibly gifted writers, designers, photographers and sales staff who have worked on the magazine over the years, I can’t thank you enough, while to the countless advertisers who have been so loyal and supportive, I really do owe you all the gratitude in the world.

“It’s been a 20 year rollercoaster ride beyond my wildest dreams and one that will live with me forever.”

Throughout September, Tinker Gallery in Ilkley will be hosting BEYOND THE FRONT COVER, a special three-week exhibition to mark 20 years of beyond.

Visitors will be able to take a look back on two decades of beyond and the iconic covers that have made it such a much-loved publication.

Running from 4th to 20th September and open from Thursday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm entry is free and all are welcome.