Former Witney Gazette editor retires (From thisisoxfordshire)

Former Witney Gazette editor retires

2:22pm Friday 30th January 2009

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A FORMER editor of the Witney Gazette has retired after a 50-year career in journalism.

On Friday, David Wynne-Jones, left the Newbury Weekly News, where he worked as the chief sub-editor for almost ten years.

Spanning a half-century, his career has seen him report events from North Wales to Singapore.

Mr Wynne-Jones, of Lovelace Close, Abingdon, said: “It has been very nice here. It's a nice family newspaper, and it's rather like the one I started at in North Wales, which was also a family business, so I have really come full circle.”

The father-of-two’s career started at the North Wales Weekly News, where he reported on the many tragedies of miners killed in the mines.

He then moved to the Chester Chronicle and the Liverpool Daily Post.

In the 1970s, Mr Wynne-Jones, 65, joined the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times, where he spent eight years on the sports desk, and then as deputy chief sub-editor.

He left to become deputy editor of the Evening Despatch, at Darlington, and then editor of the Folkestone Herald, the Watford Observer, and the Straits Times, in Singapore.

In 1990, Mr Wynne-Jones returned to the Oxford Mail, where he was appointed deputy editor, and later became editor of the Witney Gazette and the Bicester Advertiser.

One of the highlights in Mr Wynne-Jones' career was the Witney Gazette being named BT Newspaper of the Year for London and South of England in 1998 under his editorship. He is also the former chairman of the London and Home Counties region of the Guild of Editors, now known as the Society of Editors.

He wants to devote his time in retirement to travelling with his wife, Patricia, who is a retired teacher.

Mr Wynne-Jones said: “We are doing a world tour.

“We will initially take in New Zealand and beyond.

“I play golf, so will carry on with that, and I enjoy gardening and tennis.

“I am sure I will find plenty to do.”

He reflected on the changes he has seen during his time as a journalist: "It has changed dramatically from the days when I initially started – it was all hot metal, and the machinery was pretty archaic compared to now, when we are using computers.”

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