Those were the days for our John (From Penarth Times)

Those were the days for our John

EX-PENARTH Times reporter John Humphrys has given us his seal of approval!

Speaking at a prestigious business awards ceremony at the CIA last week, tough-talking John, who has gone on to great things since working on this paper, said: "It's a bloody sight brighter since I worked on it!"

Commenting on last week's lead story, the Glebe Street pedestrianisation controversy, the award-winning Radio 4 Today presenter added: "I like the way the lead is presented, it's much sharper now. In fact it's rather good - 100 percent livelier!"

Recalling his first day, John, who will shortly present a new series of Mastermind, said he was nothing like the fearless interrogator he has become.

"On my first day I was full of fear and trembling. My first boss was called Maldwyn Davies, he was a very good journalist, but very fierce. It was 1958, I was 15 and scared witless.

"There was a printing strike on when I arrived. My first job wasn't glamorous - I turned the handle of a Xerox machine!

"I had a Flit gun (used to kill flies) and I had to squirt water at the machine so the pages didn't stick to the printing rollers.

"It's been downhill ever since - in fact, some people would say I've been squirting invective instead of water since then!"

John said his break into journalism was based on him not correcting a wrong on his reference.

He said: "I decided to leave school at 15, and went to my headmaster, George Diamond, for a reference.

"I was desperate to start on a paper - my parents had no money, so I couldn't go to university.

"The headmaster didn't know who I was, but he said: 'What about your sprinting career?'

"I could barely run around the corner, but I didn't correct him.

The owner of the Penarth Times, Roland Harris, saw my reference, and was impressed with my apparent sporting ability - that's how it began."