This is Peter Deeley’s account of an extraordinary varied half century in Grub Street haunts: a newsman’s life recalled so that future generations will have a glimpse of its own crazy past.
Growing up in Birmingham in the years after the Hitler war, a copy-cum-office boy.
A Reuter’s parliamentary reporter taking down Churchill’s last words in Parliament.
The proud but fated pre-Murdoch Sun, climbing on board Tony Blackburn’s pop pirate’s radio station in the channel.
David Astor’s Observer in the 60s and 70s mixing with multi-talented Oddball writers, aboard another strange vessel, unkindly called Dr Astor’s Menagerie.
Another berth in Queen Victoria Street as Observer home news editor for three years before being bounced in favour of one of Donny Trelford’s ‘dollies’.
In his mid-fifties a survivor, capricious as ever, cricket correspondent in that Tory bastion, the Daily Telegraph.
Now a nonagenarian. Still writing (and cycling).
But this book would scarcely have seen the light of day without the manifold skills of our Tony Mullins. It has been published privately without the disbenefit of literary agents, mega publishers or Amazon, and can be purchased for £10 (including P&P) by providing an address to
pdknapton@gmail.com
Alternatively, ONLY a five-pound note will do from any FOB!