A lifetime reporting

Most people would probably associate you, Jim, with the Journal, wouldn't they?

In recent years, yes.

But you actually started here...

I started here in 1961.

What possessed you?

It was the summer of 1961. I was a 16-year-old, and I was attending the North West College - or the 'Old Strand Tech', as it was called then...

Did you start in the Sentinel because you wanted work experience?

No. There was an ad in the Sentinel, so I said go for it. Mind you I couldn't even write the actual application form either...

What do you mean either..does that mean you couldn't write stories as well?

...Yes...

Did you have shorthand?

Ah...no...but for the first week nobody caught on that I was one of those oddities in that I actually write with my left hand, and I had a broken left wrist...

So you couldn't write at all...

And I couldn't even write the application form either...

Who did it for you?

My brother. The late Sidney Buchanan was the editor then and Sidney never caught it on for the first week that I couldn't write. I tried to bash the old 'Underwood' typewriter. A big heavy clunky thing...

You came in at the time of manual typewriters too then? What colour was yours?

Mine was black.

Mine was green...

I'm afraid we had a little meeting at the end of the first week...

You and Sidney?

Yes, and it did surface that I couldn't write, but he decided to keep me.

Very charitable.

It was. It was a great training school. The late Davy Ruddock was another of the journalists at the time, Jim Donaghey who is now back living in the Limavady area, were two of the journalists there. Robert Ferris was the photographer. I worked with Robert.

What carry on did you get up to?

We didn't get up to too much carry on. As I was a 16-year-old he used to actually drive me to functions and what else... we were in Donegal together. The Sentinel in those days used to go down to Letterkenny and places like that, and we did a fair bit of travelling together.

I suppose there were fewer papers around in those days so the ones that did had a greater reach...

Yeah. One of the front page stories I wrote for the Sentinel was actually about Greencastle Harbour.

Greencastle Harbour? You wouldn't get that today.

Oh I know! I know. The late Craig Mowbray was another photographer there and as I say it was a good training school and I learned a lot. I must confess within six months I began to wonder if I had a future in journalism.

Why?

I think during the first six months the juniors always got writing up the weddings and what else. I think I had a headline once 'Bride wears gown 100 years old'. It should have been a veil that 100 years old. Guess who was to blame?

You? What did Sidney say to you?

I don't think I remember the dressing down, but for what it's worth, Sidney, when he was retiring out of his job, he must have liked me so much he actually offered me his job when he was looking to retire.

Really!

Yes.

When was that?

He had been 'courting' me for three or four months. I was in the BBC at that stage as a producer and Sidney courted me for three or four months making offers for me to come back as editor of the Sentinel. A compliment in many ways, but at the end of the day I wasn't long married and...

And you have been given the life membership recently of the NUJ. What did that feel like?

Very, very honoured. If you check back you will find the NUJ has only ever held one National Conference in Northern Ireland. It was held in Portrush, and I was the organising secretary for the Northern Ireland Committee, so I was. It was at the height of the Troubles and we persuaded the NUJ to come to Portrush. In amongst all the things we organised a number of functions for the delegates and what have you and I think it was the last night, it was to be held in Derry's Guildhall. We laid on a fairly substantial banquet through sponsors and whatever else and the NUJ were not going to come.

Why?

Because of the Troubles. The BBC - at that stage Radio Foyle were still in the Northern Counties Building in Custom House, and I'm afraid I lost the rag slightly then...

You wouldn't do that would you Jim?

The manager came over to me and asked what's wrong and I said those...

Lovely people in London?

Yes...are saying they are not going to come to Derry, and I said 'Well, if they want bother, I'll give it to them'. I told the Executive in London I was going to resign and I will make my reasons known as to why I am resigning, and they did a complete U-turn.

Really?

Yes...and they came to Derry and had one of the best nights ever. I have seen too much of this town being blown up over the past number of years, but the people of this town are very resilient, they come back and they fight back, and it is still going to be the same. I thought right, there are always going to be one or two problems when you scratch the surface, but I must confess I thought the likes of the bombing had gone away....

What is your highlight in reporting in this city what would it be?

I went on a Derry to Boston Venture through John Hume and what-have-you, and it was through one of those trips that the Foyleside ended up coming about. I think I was the first to break the story about Foyleside and the American money. When Fruit of the Loom was coming we had it on national TV and I was one of the first people to come across it. I used to have very good contacts through local people through IDB and stuff like that. The gas terminal at Lisahally...there were so many things, but those are some of the things I remember.