Letter to the Editor,

HEARING about the demise of The Harlow Star, hit the recall button of my experiences with the local media when I worked for the ‘original’ Harlow Citizen back in 1966 for 18 months or so.

I worked with John Brown the advertising Manager as his assistant. John became a family friend along with his Wife Mary who were eventually God Parents to my daughter Sam (Samantha).

In those days (I sound so old!) there was a strong and aggressive rivalry with our opposition,

The Harlow Gazette who had Martin Lewis and John Brooker on their editorial & sports team.

At one time the editor was John Horton who, decades later also became a client and friend.

There offices were in West Gate and ours East Gate, close enough to keep an eye on each other and share plenty of beers in the bowling Alley bar.

The Citizen was headed up by Les Briggs, the journalistic team included Tex Hennessey, Annie Sexton, Joe Barrett the Sports Editor Paul Hopkins and the chief reporter, being John Hobday. Down in the basement three photographer’s, Mike Danes, Les Appleby and the crazy (Ambulance chaser) Peter Knight. Plus a staff of administrators, receptionists (including my future wife) and an advertising sales team.

Can you imagine today, our town having two newspapers employing so many journalistic and sales staff, four decades later, not even a handful. So very sad but progress. I suppose.

Although general news was important the big attraction for many was the extensive number of pages covering so much sporting news with both papers filling pages and pages.

We also had a close existence with the Herts & Essex Observer. John Brown eventually moved on to join them to become their advertising manager when the existing team of Nick Matthews, John Sewell and Peter Mernane all left to form the very successful alternative form of media, the CLASSIFIED the forerunner of free delivery newspapers albeit 99% advertising and the rest, sort of news.

And did it work. A massive success but in a way possibly the first coffin nail for the traditional weekly paid-for newspaper and that was in the early 1970’s. So it’s not unexpected that sooner or later The Stars’ of this world would eventually fade away.

Over four decades since the arrival of The Classified, we lost the (real) Harlow Citizen, Harlow Gazette, The Herald (who bought out the Classified and made the founders a tidy profit) a reborn Harlow Citizen (but a very poor effort) and the now the recently defunct Harlow Star which has been terminally ill for some years.

The local media in the sixties and seventies was brilliant, fun and exciting. Although I only spent less than two years in that industry I have been able to keep close connections with former colleagues

And friends through business, sport and leisure. Certainly it got me a kick start in Harlow business wise and socially. I have fond memories and a lot to thank the local newspaper.

May it RIP.

Alan Howick