TheCopyboys

Mr Hack 64

A New Mr. Hack today. The old one was getting a bit crowded and I am delighted to see so many of you contributing this past week.

Mr HACK 63

RECOGNISE ANY OF THE ASSEMBLED HACKS FROM THE NOT TOO DISTANT PAST WHEN A VETERAN NEWSMAN WAS GIVEN A FAREWELL GIFT AT HIS LEAVING DO? AGAIN IT IS FROM THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH. DON'T ANY OTHER NEWSPAPERS TAKE LEAVING PICS?

MR HACK 62

THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN 1970. YOU WILL RECOGNISE MANY OF THE FACES OF OLD FRIENDS, SOME OF WHOM ARE SADLY NO LONGER WITH US. TRY IDENTIFYING THEM IF YOU CAN RECALL THE HAPPENINGS OF NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO.

MR HACK 61

NO, THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH IS NOT A STILL FROM THE FILM "RESERVOIR DOGS" BUT ANOTHER CHANCE TO WONDER WHO THE HELL THEY ARE NOW FROM THESE PICS OF THE WAY THEY WERE 40 YEARS AGO.

MR HACK 60

View this photo  Another picture of Belfast journalists of many, many years ago. Do you know them? Do tell.

MR HACK - 59

COPYBOY GRAHAM and DAVE GLOVER: Graham says: I was sad to hear of Dave's death. He provided plenty of copy for many a young journalist. Dave was a "brand" before the marketing men got going. Here we are in 2004. He was still an icon, still doing gigs. But even showbiz icons have their vulnerabilities. He said to me: "After every gig I get into the car and say, God please take me home safely."

CHAIRMAN BILLY SAYS: I am launching Mr. Hack 59 a little early. Drawing a line under Mr. Hack 58 where I made a lot of mistakes I'm hoping everybody will forget and not snitch on me to the President when he returns. I'll keep your secrets if you keep mine.

GIRL TALK

THE ARRIVAL OF MORE LADIES TO THE BLOG HAS BEEN SUCH A SUCCESS WE HAVE DECIDED TO GRANT THEM A BLOG OF THEIR OWN. WHICH IS WHY WE ARE SETTING UP 'GIRL TALK' SO THEY CAN CHAT AMONG THEMSELVES WHEN THEY HAVE WOMANLY THINGS TO DISCUSS.. THIS DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE GIRLS FROM THE MR. HACK SECTIONS OR ANY OF THE OTHER SECTIONS ALREADY SET UP. APART FROM GIVING THE LADIES THEIR OWN BLOG IT WILL FREE UP SOME SPACE ON  MR. HACK SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO KEEP CREATING NEW MR. HACKS EVERY FEW DAYS BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC PILE UPS. GOOD LUCK TO GIRL TALK AND ALL WHO SAIL IN HER.

MR. HACK - No 58

Here is a brand new blog for you ladies and gentlemen to have a crack at filling. I'm very impressed with how quickly you exhausted Mr. Hack - No.57. Go to it again and inform, excite and titilate as you stroll down Memory Lane (or in some cases, Dodgy Memory Lane.) I'll just repeat my previous caution that while we are theoretically in favour of total honesty, we are not fanatical about. Good luck.

 

Mr. Hack - 57

As your Chairman, I have been placed in charge of Copyboys temporarily while our President (the only man who understands how this blog works) takes a well earned break. I am starting a new section in order to save our president, Graham McKenzie, any embarrassment when I make a bolix of it. There may be other Copyboys out there as technophobic as myself but I doubt it. However I shall do my best. Unlike Graham, I do not have my finger on the pulse of current happenings in newspapers so I shall require those of you who do, to keep the blog posted on any newsy tit-bits we should know about. I would also appeal for more you who read the blog, but don't contribute, to think about creating some imput. We want to hear from all of you. Having qualified to be a Copyboy or girl, none of us were born yesterday and there must be a lifetime of anecdotes you should get down in print before you forget them. I have already welcomed two ex-Tele ad girls to Copyboys and hope they will add a little something to the blog. I know we already have  lady members but most of them seem uncharacteristically shy about contributing. We hope they will write more often. After all we don't want Copyboys to be one of those stuffy men's clubs where a chap can say what he likes without being contradicted. After all where would we be without women. Without Eve tempting Adam with an apple, there would be no fashion industry?  Who would have heard of Samson if Delilah hadn't told him to get a haircut? And who would have heard of philosopher Rene Descartes if Mrs. Descartes had not declared "I bitch, therefore I am." And pondered to himself, "Hmm. With a little work that would be a good Philos." So go to it and fill the blog so that I don't have to do anything resembling work or thinking until Graham returns. God help us all.

MR HACK - No 56

JACK MAGOWAN DIES: Jack Magowan, who for as long as any Copyboy can remember, has been a by-lined writer in the "Belfast Telegraph" has died after a short illness. His career spanned several generations of journalists. He was still working. Scroll down to fifth comment below for more details.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIENDS, WE THOUGHT.........
This photograph was taken in 1973 when Harold Pearson the newly elected President of the National Union of Journalists visited Coleraine and met local journalists in the Lodge Hotel. Unfortunately we don`t have the name of the colleague pouring the drink for the President. The others are, from left, Tommy Roycroft, Hugh McGrattan, Matt Ross, Bob Acheson, Maurice McAleese and Ian Starrett. (photo courtesy Maurice McAleese)