Ink in the Blood

In this candid and thoroughly engaging autobiography, Barrie Williams takes us on a lively journey through his remarkable 44-year career as a journalist and editor in the regional newspaper industry.

From Humble Beginnings to Editorial Stardom

This is the story of a Shropshire lad from a working-class family who began his career as a trainee journalist at just 16 years old in 1961. Fast forward several decades, and he became a respected, award-winning editor, once holding the fate of a £93 million business deal in his hands. Along the way, he mingled with Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair, socialized with multi-millionaires, the glitterati of showbiz and sports and even royalty; working briefly alongside Prince Charles and Princess Diana, enjoying lunch with The Queen, all while remaining grounded and true to his working class roots.

The Hilarious Side of Local Journalism

However, his book is by no means all about fancy lunches and high-stakes negotiations. It also chronicles the amusing blunders and adventures he encountered in the often absurd realm of local journalism. Williams also provides poignant insights into significant events he covered as a journalist, such as the miners’ strike of 1984 and the foot-and-mouth crisis of 2001 and insights into the personalities he encountered along the way, as diverse as legendary football manager Brian Clough, comedian Rod Hull, and director of the Eden Project Tim Smit. His narrative also showcases his resilience in overcoming various challenges, navigating boardroom battles and surviving trade union and management conflicts, while witnessing the decline of a once-thriving British industry now sadly on the verge of extinction.

A Must-Read for All

This book is a delightful blend of nostalgia, humour, sincerity, and wisdom. It’s essential reading not only for newspaper enthusiasts but also for anyone from the West Country, Nottingham, Kent, and Shropshire, where Barrie's journalistic contributions left a lasting mark. It serves as a heartfelt tribute to a now-overlooked and often unglamorous world of local news reporting and the wonderfully eccentric characters involved in the newspaper business. Former journalists will find much to resonate within his tales, while anyone curious about this world will equally appreciate Barrie’s insights and humorous tales, doing for local journalism what James Herriot did for the veterinary profession, there really is something in it for everyone.

For the record, Barrie’s career included roles as a journalist and/or editor at:

The Shrewsbury Chronicle (1961-71)

The Kent Evening Post (1971-81)

The Nottingham Evening Post (1981-95)

The Western Morning News (1995-2005)

Publisher - Woodfield Publishing Ltd

Language - English

Perfect Bound

Contributors

By author

Barrie Williams

Published Date - 2007-10-01

ISBN - 9781846830396

Dimensions - 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm

Page Count - 295