The Spring of 1973 was a glorious time. As far as I was concerned the sun shone every day; I was raking in the stories for the Standard Recorder; my circle of socialist-minded friends was widening; my social circle was a round of fun, parties and theatre; and I was getting to spend more andContinue reading “Springtime carries you forward – and promises a glorious summer”
Category Archives: journalism
A momentary muse upon a Muse meant soon I would meet my Muse
Once ensconced in my new abode high above Basildon town centre (was this a metaphor for the way I viewed the town, looking down on it and its inhabitants?) my next move was to make friends. In my past where had I found friends? At school – but those days were long gone. At theContinue reading “A momentary muse upon a Muse meant soon I would meet my Muse”
Hello, fancy meeting you here after all this time!
On my path through life I have met many people – at school, at work and in my leisure time. Some have entered my life and after a few years exited it again. Some school friendships ended when I left school (although there were a few which lasted longer – my dear departed friend RogerContinue reading “Hello, fancy meeting you here after all this time!”
You can take the boy out of Wales but you can’t take Wales out of the boy
When I joined the team at the Basildon Standard Recorder I believe my editor, Tony Blandford, saw a chance to inject some fresh blood into features about the new town. What was even better, as far as he was concerned, was that I was not just not from Basildon but I was not even fromContinue reading “You can take the boy out of Wales but you can’t take Wales out of the boy”
I turned down ‘a fortune’ after going undercover
As I have said before a general news reporter has to handle a wide variety of news from golden wedding anniversaries to major fires, even murder. Sometimes feature work might just concentrate on a new attraction opening in town, at others it could be a piece of serious investigative journalism. An opportunity for the latterContinue reading “I turned down ‘a fortune’ after going undercover”
New town residents were servants of two masters
In the early 1970s Basildon New Town (officially Basildon but as it was just over 20 years old people still added the New Town tag) control was in the hands of two organisations – Basildon Development Corporation and Basildon Urban District Council. By the time I arrived in 1972 the council was the civil administratorContinue reading “New town residents were servants of two masters”
The good, the bad and the downright boring
Living in Burnham-on-Crouch (until my boss could arrange a Corporation flat for me) could be a bit wearisome – it meant early rises and late nights if I had an evening job, council or arts review and a long drive to work to wake me up. The return journey was always in the dark. DuringContinue reading “The good, the bad and the downright boring”
Jack of all trades – and at times master of many
When it comes to daily regional newspapers and the nationals everyone seems to be a specialist. Court reporters; entertainment reporters; finance journalists; political journalists; science journalists; sports reporters – and even then there can be subdivisions with reporters only dealing with football, or golf, or cricket, hockey, rugby etc. etc. Life is not so neatlyContinue reading “Jack of all trades – and at times master of many”
Remember the swinging 60s? I do – I was there
It has been said: “If you remember the 60s then you weren’t there.” Those of us who grew up in that swinging decade are looked on as survivors of a period when speed and weed and even acid flooded the clubs and the streets not just in London but out in the sticks as well.Continue reading “Remember the swinging 60s? I do – I was there”
Road Rage – a modern phenomenon?
The more things change the more they stay the same. Almost 50 years on from my time as a reporter in Basildon, Essex, I have been looking at my scrap books of stories I had written then and think how often the same things happen now and the bad ones are often worse than inContinue reading “Road Rage – a modern phenomenon?”
Robin's Nest 