The news of my grandfather’s death was a shock but after 10 minutes sitting quietly in Tony’s office I had composed myself. He had given me that time to let it sink in before returning. I told him I needed to call my parents to find out the arrangements for the funeral and said IContinue reading “My final farewell to a wonderful grandfather”
Category Archives: My life
Death comes too close for comfort
Dealing with death becomes a part of life for many journalists, especially those working on regional dailies or weeklies when the people involved are part of their community. Whether it is a case of natural death, by old age or a long-term illness, or sudden death by accident or design (a house fire or fallContinue reading “Death comes too close for comfort”
Knock! Knock! Who’s there?
DOORSTEPPING – we’ve all heard about it. A politician or an entertainment celebrity is alleged to have done something (cheated on the wife; fiddled their taxes; taken a bribe) and members of the press are on their doorstep waiting for them to step outside and face a string of questions and a barrage of cameraContinue reading “Knock! Knock! Who’s there?”
Mea culpa – mea maxima culpa
Sorry I didn’t get back to the tale of our young reporter on his big adventure in Essex but a few things happened before I got round to it which made me think carefully about friendship, something I have talked about before. Friendship is important. We begin making friends when we are very young andContinue reading “Mea culpa – mea maxima culpa”
Up in court on my first day in this Brave New Town
At 8.30am on Monday, 9th October, 1972, I entered a Brave New World – Basildon. Although that comparison to Aldous Huxley’s sci-fi classic would cast me in the role of the Savage whereas I felt I was the explorer in a concrete jungle. The drive from Burnham-on-Crouch, where I was living in a rented caravanContinue reading “Up in court on my first day in this Brave New Town”
A fine weekend in the country
Though I say it myself my memory is quite good, short-term and long-term. The long-term memory, in particular, is normally excellent, even down to what I wore on a particular day. There is one foggy area, however, and that deals with the weekend from Friday, 6 October, 1972, up to 8.30am on Monday, 9 0ctober,Continue reading “A fine weekend in the country”
Time to take flight to the Lost Lands
Once I had got my breath back, following the phone call which set me on a new path, I realised I had a lot to do and just four weeks to get it done. I got the call on Friday, 8 September and I was due to start on Monday, 9 October. In between IContinue reading “Time to take flight to the Lost Lands”
Looking ahead the only way is Essex
Despite finding my desire to travel to foreign lands effectively blocked, I still had itchy feet and wanted to break out of my little bubble and see, at least, a new part of this country we call the United Kingdom. Despite the myth that all journalists yearned to work on Fleet Street (a real streetContinue reading “Looking ahead the only way is Essex”
These feet were made for walking
Looking back over the last 50 years I see 1971 as a turning point in my life. Not just because I celebrated my 21st birthday (although by now 21 was no longer a magic number as in 1970 we were granted the right to vote at 18) or that I had ended my indentures andContinue reading “These feet were made for walking”
A great day to be Welsh and proud
Today was a very good day to be Welsh. The chariots headed to Cardiff and were destroyed by the dragons. A Triple Crown already won and a Grand Slam on the horizon. It takes me back to those glorious days in the 60s and 70s when if we couldn’t make it to Cardiff a groupContinue reading “A great day to be Welsh and proud”
Robin's Nest 