Memories of former Warrington Guardian editor Ernest Buckley

Here former reporter Ian Kelly, now a sub editor at the Echo in Southampton, shares his memories of working in a newsroom with him.

“When I started work at the Guardian as a junior reporter in 1983, Ernest Buckley was second in command to editor Trevor Buckley (no relation).

"But it was Ernest Buckley and Leslie Senescall who were the ‘hands-on’ men responsible for sub-editing most of the pages.

“Mr Buckley (it was ALWAYS ‘Mr Buckley’ – in the four years I worked with him, I never once dared call him Ernest) could often be gruff and blunt.

“Reporters were many a time reduced to quivering wrecks at the prospect of having their stories roughly thrown back at them (yes, physically thrown back – we wrote with paper and typewriters in those days) by Mr Buckley, with a curt command to rewrite it for whatever reason.

“Yes he was feared, but also greatly respected. He knew the job inside out and passed on good advice which put a great many young reporters on their way to a successful career.

“In terms of newspaper style, Mr Buckley’s word was final.

“For example, many was the time I saw him furiously crossing out lines of copy and loudly bemoaning: “How many times do I have to tell ‘em, Les? It’s not the Cenotaph, it’s the war memorial. There’s only one Cenotaph and that’s the one in Whitehall.”

“Another of his stock phrases would be trotted out on winter days when Les Senescall was subbing the obituaries page. Les would note: “There’s plenty of obits this week, Ernest,” to which the reply would always be: “It’s the cold weather, Les. Sees ‘em off every time.”

“The irony of Mr Buckley’s death coming in January will not be lost on those who worked with him.

“But behind the hard exterior there was another side. I used to write a rather opinionated music column for the Midweek Guardian, and after one especially controversial rant, I was called into Mr Buckley’s office.

“I made my way there anxiously, expecting to be on the end of the hairdryer treatment, but instead found myself being given quiet, calm tips about the merits of rather more considered and balanced criticism.

“As with all of Mr Buckley’s good advice, I took it on board and it has served me well down the years.

“Nearly 30 years on, the newspaper industry is a much different place, and men like Ernest Buckley are now mere shadows of the past.

“But there are still plenty of us around who learned a great deal from him and his kind, and owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

“Ernest Buckley was – as a man and as a newspaper man – old school. I mean that very much as a compliment, and I’m sure he would have regarded it as such.”

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