Oxford Mail and Times reunion
October 2005
Something about hitting ones sixties drives people to sit back, reflect on their working lives and ask what happened to the others who were there at the start.
Certainly that is the case for me, so I was lucky that one of my few visits to England coincided with a reunion of people who had worked on the Oxford Mail and Times in the sixties and seventies.
I was amazed to find that over 50 people had been drawn to this event, including three past editors, a large number of journalists, four photographers, the newspaper librarian... and no doubt others whom I no longer recognised. Apart from my Edinburgh friends, Ray and Fay Perman, I had not met any of the others since the early seventies.
It was astonishing how many faces seemed so familiar: 35 years rolled away and I was back in the reporters' room in New Inn Hall street (I left just before the move to Osney). And most hadn't changed: they were still lively, interesting and friendly. They were a likeable crowd.
Many had moved on to distinguished careers in London. Quite a few are still working, some in senior editorial or management jobs, others opting for change and more choice as freelance writers. I was interested to hear of several whose children were also journalists now, in a couple of cases, making the third generation in the profession.
Thanks to Anne Hand for continuing the organisation of the event after the sad death of her husband, Mike, earlier this year.
Here are my own inadequate snaps from the day (downloaded the day before my camera was stolen!). Luckily one of the Mail's current photographers popped by to take a couple of group photos.