TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Southern Evening Echo editor – who helped steer the paper into the computer age.

Ex-editor and editor-in-chief with Southern Newspapers, Roy Alfred Wardale, died earlier this month, aged 89.

Roy’s editorship of the Southern Evening Echo lasted for 15 years from 1972, in which he oversaw the transition from hot metal to computer setting.

He was described by those close to him as a “newspaperman through and through”.

Born in Portsmouth, he was educated at Bishop Wordsworth’s school, Salisbury.

In 1952, after training as a reporter on the Salisbury Journal, he took his typewriter to Above Bar to join The Echo.

His facility with words coupled with wide interests meant he covered a broad field from general reporting, TV and book reviewing, and leader writing.

Roy entertained many friends with tales of his night-time trips to the docks to interview the many glamorous (and often deeply neurotic) film stars who had made the transatlantic crossing on the great liners.

Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper and Audrey Hepburn all provided entertaining copy and pictures.

He became chief leader writer, features editor, diary editor and assistant editor, moving into into the editor’s office in 1972 where he presided over a thriving newspaper with a circulation that topped 110,000.

The daily conference in the editor’s office directed the coverage given not only to the main city edition, but also the regional editions which covered areas as far afield as the Isle of Wight, Fareham, Gosport, Andover and Basingstoke.

Roy, shirt-sleeves rolled up, pipe in mouth, would direct conference with good humour.

In 1980 he was made editor-in-chief and became editorial director on the main board of Southern Newspapers where his mission was to protect his editorial staff (numbering 100 on the Echo alone) from any proposed cuts.

He served for five years on the advisory council of the Independent Television Authority and was a member of the Western regional board of British Telecom, before it was privatised.

He was a member of the Council of the Guild of British Newspaper Editors, a member of the Parliamentary and Legal committee and twice chairman of the Wessex Region of the Guild.

He was also a member of the Press Council for five years.

After retirement from The Echo in 1987, he joined the staff of the Press Council during its transition to becoming Press Complaints Commission, working with local, regional and national editors of papers throughout the country. Later he lectured in journalism and wrote a large part of a distant learning package for the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists).

After a brief marriage in the early 1980s, Roy met his partner of the last 33 years, writer and journalist, Annie Bullen.

He became honorary step-father and friend to Sophie, Lucy and Toby and, later, a much-loved ‘matey’ to six step-grandchildren, Joshua, Marley, Ben, Rafe, Jacob and Freyja.

He loved riding his old horse, George, round the north Hampshire countryside, eating and talking with friends, helping restore and develop a large garden – which he and Annie opened for charity – walking, reading and enjoying holidays by the sea.

Roy Alfred Wardale; 9th December 1928 – 13th July 2018