Tributes pour in for former editor and community figure

Tributes have flooded in for former Diss Express editor Ron Hunt.

Mr Hunt, of Yaxley, who died on Friday aged 77, was a highly respected and influential figure in the local newspaper industry throughout the country.

Mr Hunt, who also played a prominent part in local community and sporting life in and around Diss, died a year after a series of strokes cut short the retirement he had begun less than three months earlier.

See the foot of this story for tributes to Ron and pay your own.

The career-long journalist began as an office boy and was eventually honoured for his services to the newspaper industry.

Mr Hunt's standing in the newspaper industry can be measured by the many tributes which have been paid to him this week. The majority of tributes have come from across this industry but he was also a major part of the local cycling world.

Mick Madgett said: "Ron was an invaluable member of the cycling community, helping out at every available opportunity. He will be sorely missed."

Champion cyclist Shaun Aldous said: "Many successful sportspeople keep paper cuttings from their events, Ron's reports were much more than just the result and a picture."

And Tim Butler agreed, saying: "Ron helped bring the sport of cyclo-cross to the public with his descriptive reports. You could almost ride the event just reading his piece."

Ian Poole, the chairman of the British Cyclo-Cross Commission, said: "Ron was passionate about everything he did and brought a brought a breath of fresh air to the sport. His valuable contributions, whether helping to secure sponsorship or standing in the rain and wind as a marshal, will be deeply missed."

Mr Hunt was also a Rotarian and another of the many tributes paid this week came from Lawrence Thompson, president of the Diss club, who said that he epitomised the Rotary watchword – Service Above Self.

"His enthusiasm for helping and guiding others was inspirational to us all and I certainly benefited from his wise words," said Mr Thompson.

"We have lost a warm and compassionate member whose impish sense of humour was an entertaining element of our meetings.

"Ron was truly a gentleman and will be truly missed."

Another interest was Scouting, and Bram Davies, of Roydon, recalled that while he was district commissioner Mr Hunt was an "invaluable" chairman of the South Norfolk district.

Read other tributes to Ron below and on Pages 2-5:In a career which began on the Leamington Morning News, Mr Hunt was best known as the editor who brought out a daily newspaper in Northamptonshire single-handedly when his journalists went on strike for six months.

But he had a greater impact on journalism as an inspirational trainer of reporters, and as an editor whose newspapers reflected his own instinctive commitment to fairness, accuracy and integrity.

His contribution to newspapers was recognised in the Queen's 1992 Birthday Honours when he was made MBE, and again in 2006 when he was included in the UK Press Gazette's All-time Hall of Fame.

While he insisted that his newspapers should reflect his personal high standards, he also demanded that they should never be dull. He had the gift for knowing when a moment's fun or some gentle mischief could lighten the most intense moments of newspaper production or business meetings.

It was just as typical that as a young journalist with a growing family he sacrificed the extra money he could earn by selling stories to national papers, after seeing how his fair and balanced copy on two people caught in an affair had been sensationalised.

"I couldn't take money earned like that," he recalled years later to a colleague.

As much as newspapers filled his life, family still came first and this week at his Yaxley home, his widow Joan and four daughters were recalling a loving husband and father, even though home life was often interrupted by calls from his head office and he would rush from the house in the middle of the night.

Home and work mixed and his daughters remembered playing among the presses as the papers were printed – the stuff of nightmares for a modern health and safety inspector – and Mrs Hunt was regularly called on to count the papers.

Mrs Hunt spoke with gratitude of the help she had received from Yaxley and the wider community during the past 12 months, and said that her husband would approve if anybody wanted to remember him by raising a glass of red wine – his drink of choice.

Late in Mr Hunt's career, computers entered newspaper production and quickly became a fascination for him. "Gadgetman" became a family name and it was no surprise, given his enthusiasm, that the Diss Express was a test bed for desktop publishing.

Present Diss Express editor Steven Penny said: "I first came across Ron early in my career. He was such a fantastic teacher, full of enthusiasm for the subject – not just the traditions of the job but was also fully up-to-date and enthused by the very latest technology.

"He came to see me on the very first week I started at the Diss Express and was always there for a friendly chat about life as a weekly newspaper editor and always enjoyed talking to the newest trainees to share his ideas with them."

Mr Hunt died in a nursing home on Friday. A family cremation on Thursday (January 24) will be followed by a celebration of his life at St Mary's Church, Yaxley, at 1pm.

His family have asked for donations, instead of flowers, for the Stroke Association or Diss Rotary Club should be sent to the Susan Whymark Funeral Service at The Old Stables, Chestnut Farm, Langton Green, Eye, IP23 7BG.

Read other tributes to Ron below and on Pages 3-5:Other tributes to Ron:

Leamington Courier

Northants Evening Telegraph

Bury Free Press

Eastern Daily Press

East Anglian Daily Times

Diss Mercury

Press Gazette

Hold The Front Page

Society of Editors

Cycling Weekly

Eastern Cyclo-cross League

British Cycling

Eastern Road Race League forum

Lasting Tribute

Pay your tribute to Ron below or email editorial@dissexpress.co.uk

Bob Satchwell, Executive Director of the Society of Editors: "Ron was a legend in the regional press. He was a huge character who will be remembered with great affection by former editors and journalists and many who are still working."

Peter Bennett, production editor Northants ET during Mr Hunt's editorship there: "Ron was a lovely man who was not just a boss but a good friend to all his team. He joined the paper at a time of change and adventure. It was a privilege to work with him."

Ian Poole, Chairman, British Cyclo-Cross Commission: "Ron was passionate about everything he did and, although arriving to cyclo-cross late in his life, he brought a breath of fresh air to the sport and certainly helped make the Eastern Region exemplars to us all. His valuable contributions, whether helping to secure sponsorship or standing in the rain and wind as a marshal, will be deeply missed."

Marcia Davis, Deputy Editor, Suffolk Free Press: "Ron gave me my first job. Many years later he helped me sub the Suffolk Free Press during various interregnums. Great, great journalist, always such fun, always helpful, patient and wise."

Brian Mason, former editorial training manager, Midland News Association: "I worked with Ron on several NCTJ working parties and committees over too many years to remember. When the discussion dragged on or became increasingly arcane, Ron's enthusiasm and experience always came to the rescue."

Neil Webber, Editorial Training Manager, Kent Messenger: "Ron had that exceptional ability to make whoever he was talking to feel important and special.

"His visits to us at Canterbury as an NVQ external verifier, were always regarded as the highlight of the week/month/year. He lit up the place with his cheerful nature and maintained an infectious enthusiasm for the profession.

"Ron could be mischievous, witty and could find humour where there was only despair. Those who met Ron, no matter how briefly, would not forget him and any who, through meeting him, may have inherited just a little of his character and personality, should regard themselves as being extremely fortunate."

Maurice Neill, Newspaper journalism course co-ordinator, Belfast Metropolitan College: "I am greatly saddened to learn of Ron's death. I met him only twice and took an instant like to this entertaining and honest man from the old school of public service journalism. He provided help and support to me in my difficult first year of teaching, a debt I cannot repay.

"His death is a loss to the industry, to many colleagues and friends and above all to his family of whom he spoke with great affection.

"I will remember Ron with great fondness as a man who set high standards for tomorrow's young journalists."

Karen Hindle, East Anglian Daily Times Feature Writer, Tivetshall St Mary: "I too was given my first break into journalism by Ron and very early on he stuck his neck out for me. He has advised me throughout my career, even into the world of television, helping me secure suitable training for staff. He was a journalist through and through and even when a big story broke on his doorstep, dividing the community, it never occurred to him not to tell it "properly". In fact you could see that glint in his eye journos get when they are onto something.

"Ron was a man who embraced technology and carried the Diss Express through the early days of desktop publishing. Never one to shy away from other technological breakthroughs, how we laughed when he turned up with Geoffrey Howe to an event with a "mobile" phone which required an accompanying suitcase.

"When I picture Ron he is always laughing, full of mischief and usually has a glass of red in his hand. He taught me to look to myself first if something has gone wrong and blame needs to be apportioned and he taught me local news is king.

"At the Diss Express we had two nicknames for him, one was Uncle Ron and the other I am not brave enough to publish here, but he liked them both in equal measure - provided a glass of red swiftly followed.

"He has been called a legend too. All of these are fitting of course, but there are a huge number of people who also liked to call him "friend".

"I am profoundly proud to be one of those, to have known him, worked with him and shared a drink with him. The world is a little darker without him."

Nic Leitch, Belfast: "I had the great privilege in knowing Ron as our External Verifier for Journalism in Upper Bann Institute in Northern Ireland, we became firm friends.

"Ron was a hard working and fun loving person who clearly lived for his family.Ron enjoyed keeping us up to date with stories about his life at home and especially how well his grandson Robert was doing in the world of cycling.

"My fondest memory of Ron is after a hard day's verification in the Institute, Ron, John Coulter and I had retired to the kitchen of our good friends at Brookhall Historic Farm. Ron with that devilish smile asked 'have you ever seen one of these before' and began to fish in his jacket pocket. Out came this little black pouch which in true magician style he held it up for a second or two and then with great show produced a pendulum. Ron then recounted how it was "a teller of the truth and would reveal all", he then proceeded to show us how it worked!

"Brookhall encompasses a prehistoric earthworks and deconsecrated Christian church and graveyard so understandably we all had to go outside and see if we could really prove that the incumbents matched the records. After dowsing and referring to old records for nearly two hours, in a very cold graveyard, we had proved one thing at least – you can laugh so hard that your ribs will hurt.

"Ron will be sorely missed."

Martin Throssell, former Great Yarmouth Mercury editor: "Ron Hunt was my mentor when I trained as an NVQ external verifier.

"His sense of direction as we travelled to various offices was shocking, and on one occasion, having insisted that he could easily find an address at Newcastle because it was right next to the football ground, we three times viewed St James's Park from the Gateshead side of the river.

"His instructions on external verifying, however, were impeccable, although his disregard for bureaucracy and refusal to let form-filling get in the way of actually training young reporters probably infuriated the awarding bodies we worked for.

"Having succeeded him as external verifier at three Northern Ireland NVQ centres I am also aware of the regard and affection for him there; I shall always be grateful to him for introducing me to The Crown at Belfast, and now a pint of Belfast Ale is an obligatory conclusion to each visit to the NVQ course at the city's Metropolitan College."

Read other tributes to Ron below and on Pages 4 and 5:Pauline and John Yarwood, Perth, Western Australia: "I had known Ron professionally since 1953, when I began as a cadet on the Leamington Spa Courier at a time when Ron was chief reporter of the Morning News, our rival news-sheet.

"I had actually met Ron a couple or so years before that when he visited the boys' club of which I was a member at Whitnash to write a feature about our football team which was distinguishing itself by losing matches by as many as 16-0. I was the goalkeeper!

"In the nine years I knew Ron in the journalistic set in Leamington I got to know him well.

"He was an oustanding news man - as good as any I ever met - had an impish sense of humour and was a dedicated union member who played a key role in the establishment of the mid-Warwickshire branch of the AJA in the early fifties. He was our secretary for many years and attended ADMs regularly.

"In that era, the social life in the newspaper scene in mid-Warwickshire was lively - and Ron was always at the centre of it.

I feel privileged to have been asked by Ron to join his paper. I declined the offer - but only because I had Antipodean plans at the time.

"To say that he was an institution in the Leamington and Warwick area is not rating him too highly.

"It was not that unusual at that time for an office boy to make it into a newsroom - but not many advanced as far as Ron.

"One of the many things about Ron that impressed me was his preparedness and ability to embrace the new-fangled computer technology - something which still challenges me cruelly in my early 70s. I have known at least two of his distinguished contemporaries of the 1950s who refused utterly to quit the typewriter!

"Ron will be awfully missed.

"Our deepest condolences go to Joan and family."

Martin Lawson, editor Leamington Courier: "I first knew Ron during my own early days as a trainee. Subsequently, we bumped into each other occasionally either at professional gatherings or one of his visits to Leamington. A lovely man, and a great character."

Kay Hunter, former editor Diss Express: "Ron Hunt was always 'around' during my career in local journalism. I first met him when I was a reporter on the Bury Free Press and he was the Training Officer. Later we met again when I was Editor of the Diss Express in the early and mid-Seventies, and later still, I worked part-time as a freelance during his editorship in the 1980s.

"It was always a pleasure to work with him, and for him. A professional to his fingertips, he encouraged the newcomers, managing to get the best out of them while coming down heavily on bad spelling, inaccuracy and sloppy grammar! He also had a great sense of humour. There was always a lot of laughter when he was about.

"For a time during Ron's reign we relied greatly on part-timers. There was former 'Telegraph' foreign correspondent John Mossman, and Lawrie Kirwan, former president of the NUJ. They both lived locally. John was recovering from an eye operation, and Lawrie was deaf in one ear. They sat together, and one glorious afternoon John, covering his bad eye, turned to Lawrie and said, "Can you just read that small print for me, Lawrie?" At which Lawrie barked "WHAT?"

"The office rocked. Ron's comment through the hilarity was to the effect that he'd heard of the blind leading the blind, but we had a case of the blind leading the deaf, and was there a story here?

"Days at the Express were enlivened by the cups of tea and coffee, which we used to take turns in making, and Ron would call out the request that he was "gasping." When the refreshment was forthcoming, his usual appreciation to whoever made it was, "You're a wonderful warm human being!"

"And so was he. He will be greatly missed."

John Walton, former Leamington Spa Courier junior reporter: "Having just spent a weekend in Diss and bought a copy of the Diss Express, I was saddened to read of Ron Hunt's death.

"It brought back my days as a junior reporter in Leamington Spa in the early Sixties. I worked on the Leamington Spa Courier, a big weekly.

"In competition was the Leamington Morning News - a unique little paper owned by two brothers. It consisted of anything from 4 to 12 pages according to advertising and was certainly the smallest daily paper in England. It was later swallowed up by the Courier and closed.

"Ron was the de facto news editor with three reporters. Both he and his sidekick Robin Clarke boasted ferocious moustaches and we were a bit in awe of them. I see he was only 10 years older than me - but it seemed more.

"Their modus operandi was to save any exclusives until the Courier's publication day of Friday. And they managed to get quite a lot - despite our far larger staff.

"I got to know Ron well and we socialised through local NUJ meetings. He was never ferocious and had a great sense of humour.

"In the office he kept a large scrapbook full of misprints and double entendre headlines such as "Fuchs off to the Antarctic" etc.

"The last time I saw Ron was at an NUJ conference in the early 70s -before he fell out with the union.

"From reading the Diss Express articles, he clearly continued to play a big part in his community and will be a big loss."

Janet and Michael Page, former neighbours: "We were very lucky to have had Ron and Joan as our next door neighbours for several years when we lived in Great Addington and have lasting memories of the many happy, hilarious "get togethers" we had. Ron was always the life and soul of the party.

"His fishing techniques were very good! I remember one evening Joan and I returned from the W.I. meeting and I was unable to get into my house. Ron duly came over, could see the keys through the window and immediately returned home only to re-appear a few minutes later with a long fishing rod with the hook on the end. He pushed the fishing rod through the letter box and with my instructions of "up a bit, down a bit, over a bit", he managed to hook the keys successfully.

"Needless to say we were in hysterics and I will leave it to your imagination the comments that were coming from Ron

"When we moved house we remained good friends with Ron and Joan and missed the almost daily contact we had with them.

"Ron was such a larger than life genuine person and his humour could brighten anyone's day.

"We feel very privileged to have been part of Ron's life and he will be sorely missed by so many people not least Joan who was such a support to Ron throughout their life together."

Rema and Sasi Bnair: "We have known Ron Hunt since we became in laws, with his daughter marrying into our family.

"When visited him at his house many years ago, we realised what a wonderful and loving person he was in all aspects.

"Without fail we have been getting his greeting cards for New Year/Christmas.

"We have come to know that he has been an excellent husband, father, in law to his family and a very good friend and a towering figure in his profession.

"May the Lord give everlasting peace to his soul and spirit. Goodbye sir."

Read other tributes to Ron below and on Page 5:John Hardeman, boyhood friend and professional colleague (speaking at the celebration of life service for Ron): "I count it a great privilege and honour to say a few words about Ron, since we knew each other for almost 70 years.

"At the time we both lived in Royal Leamington Spa and we used to play in the street, in St Mary's Road, on the corner of which I now have an apartment.

"I will never forget my friendship and shared professional life with Ron, and when looking out of the window I will so easily recall so many very clear and happy memories of him.

"I suppose the most lasting memory will be of the time we were chasing around in early childhood and I fell very badly in the street, wounding my knee and Ron carried me on his back to the nearby hospital. The scar on my knee is still there, another reminder of his unconditional friendship and commitment to a great pal.

"And in mentioning Leamington, so many of the friends of Ron and family from the spa town, couldn't be here for reasons of age, infirmity and the distance involved, and I would like to feel that I am representing them.

"We did, in fact, spend very, many happy hours together both personally and more professionally at the Newspaper Society, at meetings and conferences of the the Guild of Editors, and in editorial training meetings learning a new language of educationspeak and grappling with words like 'holistic' which never really came within our more normal journalistic vocabulary.

"Of course, all of you will have your own memories and many of you have posted your own tributes on the several web sites recording Ron's passing.

"The web sites which detail his career, have quite rightly described Ron as a newspaper legend for he was a quite remarkable regional editor who gave so much of himself without seeking any reward, and if anyone really deserved his MBE, then it was Ron.

"In particular, Ron must have spent hours on helping young, journalistic staff and trainees, and when he eventually retired from the daily round, he remained committed to training and qualification and in recent years must have travelled thousand of miles to newspaper offices and training providers as distant as the Middle East, Northern Ireland, and the Irish Republic.

"I am indeed indebted to Ron for so many personal kindnesses and I eventually lost count of the number of times I telephoned him to sort out difficulties in operating my Applemac computer. It was, of course, always the operator that was at fault not the machine. Thank goodness Joan was so tolerant but then wives of journalists have to be very strong and understanding, particularly in early career days when a reporter left a hot dinner on the table to chase a story.

"It was once suggested that Ron and I might become industry dinosaurs but Ron was never that and if ever he heard it said I am sure that he would in his own inimitable way quietly but affectionately, and with a wry smile on his face, say 'sod off', perhaps while enjoying his glass of red wine for which he had become renowned.

"Joan asked me to say a few words but there is no restriction on the number that can pass through your thoughts in the next day or two, especially on the esteem in which Ron was held.

"The bewhiskered Ron was a great family man despite the time consuming nature of journalism and whilst there is long lasting sadness I am sure that the size of today's congregation, and the overwhelming number of letters and cards that Joan has received will, in testimony to a lovely man, help in the coming days and months.

"Ron, you had ink in your blood, and I am so very glad that you didn't just end up as a nib on an inside page but deservedly had volumes written about you. Today, Ron, we honour and, in a more physical expression, we applaud you."

Mary Ann Fulcher, King's Lynn: Ron was not only a legend in his own lifetime and a lovely man but also Mr Jolly, with his trademark whiskers, a twinkle in his eye and a great sense of fun and mischief. Many years ago when I was a cub reporter on the Lincs Free Press and Spalding Guardian and Ron was Editorial Training Officer he went with me to a local magistrates' court. Court staff were used to seeing me there, but puzzled as to the identity of the bewhiskered one on the press bench. In an exaggerated stage whisper he asked me, 'Should I tell them I am from the Law Observance Society?' ... and the court proceedings that day ran with unheard of efficiency. We roared with laughter about it later! To have known Ron was a great privilege and my heart goes out to Joan and the family.

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