Quickstep challenge with the star of the epic Lawrence of Arabia

It is highly likely that anyone around in 1977 remembers that year as the Silver Jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II. To me, however, it is far more memorable than Her Maj visiting Holyhead, where I had the great pleasure of being the district reporter for the North Wales Chronicle. In Spring of thatContinue reading “Quickstep challenge with the star of the epic Lawrence of Arabia”

Beginning a brand-new adventure still going strong half a century later

We all have those times when we make a decision and then suddenly realise we have made a commitment which requires a great number of actions in a very limited time. The first time Marion and I faced such a situation was in the first half of 1977. I had been offered a reporter’s jobContinue reading “Beginning a brand-new adventure still going strong half a century later”

Spring in my step as our little family goes back to my root

As I left for work the morning after Marion and I had made the decision that I would give up the cinema life and return to the one job that I had always been proud of – that of a journalist – I felt a new spring in my step. The previous day I couldContinue reading “Spring in my step as our little family goes back to my root”

One man and his dog – but it’s the dog in charge of the show

When I was a trainee reporter – over 50 years ago – most of the stories I reported on were straightforward. A story could be a report on a court case; reports from a council meeting; sports reports; a theatre review; or one of many other events. In all these cases I went to court,Continue reading “One man and his dog – but it’s the dog in charge of the show”

Kissing frogs is a job for a princess

A princess who wants to find her prince will have to kiss a lot of frogs during the search. A young reporter seeking a page one byline will have to type up a lot of funeral and wedding reports on the way. The late 60s was still a time when weekly newspapers were considered aContinue reading “Kissing frogs is a job for a princess”

Out of work for a weekend

I arrived home in time for lunch on the day I was told I had failed my probationary period as a trainee reporter. Yet I was not feeling downcast because Bill O’Brien, the chief reporter at the Holywell office where I had been a probationer, had told me there was someone interested in my desireContinue reading “Out of work for a weekend”