TheCopyboys

Mr Hack 205

Just in case you've been wondering what's happened at the blog I suddenly realised that I had not put up a  new one for a spell and when I looked and discovered that our visibility has gone gone down I thought, hey John...get on with creating a new one ....this one is No. 205... first task was to look for a photograph and when I dipped into the files I found one that brought back memories....being at school...talking to a mate whose name was Sam McCrum, a fellow also attending Garvey College in Botanic Avenue....don't go looking for it...it was a casualty of an IRA bomb designed to take down a neighbouring property but Garvey got taken too...the photograph was shot in Frances Street, Newtownards  from the doorstep of the Newtownards Chronicle at that time edited by Bob McNinch...Back to Sam ...he drew my attention to an advertisement in the Co. Down Spectator ...it was inviting applicants to be a reporter on the Newtownards Spectator. Surely you want to go for that, John? So I did and got an interview with an elderly white haired man called David Alexander who after an interview and a shorthand test gave me the job. My new and first editor was Billy Graham and the reporter's job I was getting was held then by Billy Simpson who  heading to the bright lights of Belfast and the Northern Whig. Billy was my first editor but  he  was succeeded by Carl Anderson, another wonderful and successful journalist. Carl soon left, too, and also joined Belfast Telegraph. Who next as editor? Stanleu Aiken who liked me to write right, short opening pars to stories....I can't remember how long Stanley stayed but he, too, left which left me alone and in charge. I think I was possibly the youngest editor in Ireland.  Which bring me back to the photo.... it brings happy memories.

OBITUARY: Mitchell Smyth

 

 

Mitchell Smyth

July 16th, 1936 - July 31st, 2024

Mitchell Smyth, a dedicated lifelong newspaper reporter and dedicated news man, passed away peacefully at home on July 31st, 2024, at the age of 88. Born on July 16th, 1936, Mitchell's career in journalism spanned several decades, during which he became a respected voice in the field of travel. Since his arrival in Canada from Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, he reported for the Hamilton Spectator and retired at the Toronto Star as their Travel Editor. Mitchell was known for his integrity and dedication to his craft.

Outside of his professional life, Mitchell had a cherished hobby of collecting hats from all over the world, a testament to his vibrant personality and unique interests. His collection was a reflection of how many countries he had visited but also into his sense of humour.

Mitchell is survived by his loving wife, Vilma Smyth; his sons, Niall and Norman Smyth; his grandsons Owen, Kieran and Milo Smyth; his daughter in law Carmelina and his cherished sisters, Helen and Ann. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and all who knew him. Nobody could spin a yarn like Mitch, so please remember him that way, telling an outrageous but TRUE story.

As per his wishes, there will be no formal memorial service celebrating Mitchell's life and legacy. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Sunnybrook Hospital in Mitchell's honour.

Mr Hack 204

 

Now let's see what we have to say this time .... this wonderful image is of  Belfast Central Library with people milling about at the entrance to Berry Street and just across from it was the officies of the Belfast Telegraph which no longer lives there but the place has become the home for raves or whatever other forms of entertainmnent is peformed in the old Press hall. I've been absent around here for a while because the copyboys has been silent with little attention being paid to it by people who used to enjoy dropping in and leaving a comment or two for amusement purposes or maybe because they were angry at something or other and this was a good place to let off steam. A regular contributor here was Mitchell Smyth, a long time ow resident of Canada and bizarrely, I came across his name in Facebook recently and sent him a message or a greeting rather to try and stir his attention because I'm quite sure he recalls my name but, hey, I have received no response so there you go ....Farewell, until my next visit here. Ps ... people can now see that following an excellent comment and stor we have added another photograph to illustrate what was said by our contributor...the headstone at the grave of Jack Sayers in Glenarm, Co. Antrim

Mr Hack 203

Well....let us start with a joke and see how we get on from there....This is Mr Hack 203 (Sorry...it seems longer sitting here where I am typing badly because I had to stop and correct that word). Anyway, when I started to look for an illustration to put up for his I was puzzled....I did find a good  illustation but I then misplaced it and couldn't get it to download so ... a different image is going to appear after I finish and hit pubish and this new image/joke appears. Anyway, I thought it funny and I also knew Billy would agree and as we are not too woke around here I get my way.... Enjoy and please do comment. 

Darryl Grimason: a tribute

*Darryl Grimason was a popular wildlife and nature presenter

BBC Northern Ireland presenter and author Darryl Grimason has died after a period of illness.

He was known for presenting and producing wildlife, environmental and natural history programmes, including the archaeological series Earthworks and the fishing series The Big Six.

His brother Stephen Grimason said he was a naturally gifted broadcaster.

BBC NI interim director Adam Smyth said Darryl Grimason was a "fantastic, flexible and adventurous filmmaker".

He "always brought a great sense of excitement and enthusiasm to his programmes", Mr Smyth added, "whether he was presenting underwater in the Waterworld series or sharing his love of fishing with audiences in The Big Six".

As a reporter Darryl Grimason contributed to programmes such as BBC Radio Ulster's Your Place And Mine and presented Dawn Chorus, Wild Week and special reports on BBC Newsline.

In 2019, he produced the BBC One NI documentary Life And Death On Heroin.

Mr Smyth said Darryl Grimason was a popular staff member within the BBC and would be "very much missed".

Beyond his work with the BBC, Darryl Grimason was the author of Reading the Water: A Life Spent Fishing.

He was a devoted husband to Karen, dearly loved father of Kirsten and Erin and beloved son of Jean.

A funeral Service will be held in Hill Street Presbyterian Church on Saturday at noon.

 

Stephen Grimason said his brother had the principle "born to fish, forced to work".

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Tribute to David Capper

 

 

A tribute here at the copyboys blog for David (Dave) Capper. a great reporter who has died aged 91 in March 2024:

Former BBC Ireland Correspondent David Capper has died aged 91.

He was a familiar presence on TV and radio during some of the darkest days of the Troubles.

Reporting for BBC Northern Ireland's Scene Around Six and as the national radio correspondent he covered some of the worst atrocities including Bloody Sunday and Bloody Friday.

Born in Belfast, his journalistic career began at the Newtownards Chronicle.

It was with the Chronicle where he had his first encounter with a major news story, covering the sinking of the Princess Victoria in 1953.

He spent a few years working in Vancouver, returning to Northern Ireland to edit a local paper, then joining the reporting staff of the Belfast Telegraph and on to the BBC.

Mr Capper joined the BBC team in Buenos Aires during the Falklands War.

After 26 years, he left the BBC shortly after reporting on the Enniskillen bomb in 1987, but continued to work in media advising developing radio stations abroad.

His family said he eventually settled in Donaghadee where he had spent his childhood summers.

They said apart from travel, his passions included music and narrow gauge steam railways.

Appreciation/Obituary: Godfrey Fitzsimons

 

Here is a belated appreciation and obituary written by a former colleague of his at the Irish Times. He was a man  I once knew a thousand years ago, it seems. Godfrey Fitzsimons  worked at the Belfast Telegraph    and then he departed and joined the Irish Times where he worked successfully for a lifetime before other interests enterained and amused him and help pay the bill. This obituary was written and published in 2020 but as I said, 'better late than never.....' 

 

Godfrey Fitzsimons: Copy Editor and Film Critic

 

Godfrey Fitzsimons, who has died aged 79, was a pillar of The Irish Times for the best part of 40 years, and a copy editor who policed the rules of grammar, syntax, legibility and house style with an unforgiving eye.

 

He was also a film critic whose skills were acknowledged by rivals. “The combination of his writing skills and acerbic with gave a heightened individuality to his weekly contributions. I loved working with him as a fellow critic,” said Philip Molloy, then with the Irish Press.

 

A tall man, he sat bolt upright at the revise sub-editors’ desk scrutinising news copy and ruthlessly putting down verbal flights of fancy. Pity the reporter whose traffic report included the word “gridlock”. I don’t think we have any cities laid out on the American grid system, Godfrey was heard to say as he pounced. Nothing got past him. Chief sub-editor Pat O’Hara described him as a “safe pair of hands”, an accolade any journalist would kill for.

 

Born on March 30th, 1941, he was the second son of George Fitzsimons, a linen mill book keeper/office manager and his wife Ethel. They lived frugally on the outskirts of Ballymena, Co Antrim.

 

Ethel had worked in a millinery shop and was known for her good sense. The brothers played “cowboys and Indians” in the adjoining public park and fished in the Doury Burn, a local stream, for tiny fish they called spricks, cutting their feet on old tin cans and bottles. After finishing school at Ballymena Academy, Lionel became a Presbyterian minister and Godfrey won a place at Trinity College Dublin.

Godfrey’s name appeared in this newspaper in November 1963, in a listing of Trinity examination results. After graduation he worked for a while for the Belfast Telegraph, writing leading articles. After about four years, Godfrey got restless and took himself off to the Columbia Journalism School, in New York, where his love of film appears to have flowered.

Ethel had worked in a millinery shop and was known for her good sense. The brothers played “cowboys and Indians” in the adjoining public park and fished in the Doury Burn, a local stream, for tiny fish they called spricks, cutting their feet on old tin cans and bottles. After finishing school at Ballymena Academy, Lionel became a Presbyterian minister and Godfrey won a place at Trinity College Dublin.

Godfrey’s name appeared in this newspaper in November 1963, in a listing of Trinity examination results. After graduation he worked for a while for the Belfast Telegraph, writing leading articles. After about four years, Godfrey got restless and took himself off to the Columbia Journalism School, in New York, where his love of film appears to have flowered.

 

 

 

In 1970 he began to work for The Irish Times, doing general reporting and initially acting as back-up film critic to Fergus Linehan. Writing about film enthused him. Godfrey was proud to work alongside a distinguished generation of critics, including Barry Norman at the BBC and Dilys Powell at the Observer. Godfrey was a big admirer too of Alexander Walker of the London Evening Standard, and a fellow Northerner, being from Portadown.

Wanderlust

America had enthused him too, and he took a couple of years out, travelling around. On his return, he worked for the Sunday Tribune for a brief spell, then returned to the Old Lady of D’Olier Street until retirement. The wanderlust never left him. Sometimes he just vanished. Friends knew he was probably on a train across Europe, and his itinerary would be revealed by a postcard from somewhere north of Malmo perhaps.

A private man, he nurtured his friendships, taking great care to keep in touch, discreetly helping any who fell on hard times. “I think of Godfrey as a book,” one who knew him a long time said, “I was allowed to see some pages, others saw different passages, but none of us got to read the whole volume”. He died on July 17th.  He was 79.

 

 

 

 

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Mr Hack 202

The new/old photo shows three former sub editors at work... Rankin, David  and in the foreground Eddie jnr.

A couple of us... namely me and Billy Graham have been trying to remember names of people who worked in the Features Department of the Belfast Telegraph under Tom Carson's leadership as its editor....here are some of the names we came up with: Billy Graham, Ray Kennedy, Roy Shephard, John Caruth, Tommy Anderson, Brian Munn, Gerry Rafferty, John Grayden, Colin Ross, Willie Rocke,  Lindy McDowell, Sandra Chapman, Janet Devlin, Billy Simpson, Carol Clewlow, Jane Bell ... there are a lot more like Colin Ross, Ian Kirk Smith, Lorna Stephens, Sue Corbett and I should   Bob Shaw, of course, who wrote the Chichester column and  Helen Gregg was the typist. Quite a gathering. There we others who came earlier and I will find their names and put them up eventually.

 

 

Mr Hack 201

The copyboys blog has reached number 201...it is a long time since Graham McKenzie created it and he's been dead a long time but  we continue and try to attract attention and interest in our endeavours.  This time we are remembering colleagues who enjoy their lives and worked hard in their careers so here is evidence of their existence and how they looked .... much younger then than now, of course but still happening and enjoying being around....the one typing is verging on being eighy years old. Keep smiling anyway - that's part of life's secret. 

Happy Christmas 2023

It's that time of the year again when we wish each other Happy Christmas and also here's hoping for a Prosperous New Year and a healthy one as well. Each wish goes out to our dwindling number of readers and contributor and final barb is aimed at yours truly, the Blogmaster names by our late Chairman. Anyway, here's to climate change and keeping warm at the same time. Cheers! Ps ...our photograph was sent to me and I thought at first it was the image off a Bangor postcard, but it seems not...just a wonderful photograph of Bangor cenre's Main Street was it was when I clever photographer 'snapped' the moment a well dressed man and woman were chatting and a little boy was wondering and two horses and their carts were resting by the roadside while another was progressing up the hill with in the background two large vessels were being paused before continuing their journey, possibly to Belfast. Ps.... a  later stage I found someting funny from the past and from our late Chairman which I thought added humour to a rather dry Christmas gift.