A Shropshire journalist who has retired after 37 years in the newspaper industry remembers that fateful day in August 1997 well.

Peter Danby, 65, has retired as deputy editor for NWN Media title The Oswestry and Border Counties Advertizer.

During his 25 years as a journalist there is one story in particular that sticks in his mind.

Said Peter: “I remember when Princess Diana was killed – I was away and so was the editor –  we wondered how we could localise the story.

“It transpired that her bodyguard Trevor Rees, who was badly injured, came from Oswestry. We found ourselves gravitating to the office to cover it.

“We used contacts to find people that knew him and got quotes from them.”

Despite covering big stories, such as murders, Peter said it is the smaller stories that are just as important.

He added: “I would like to say to people that if you want to be a journalist you have to want to do it quite badly.

“Instead of telling me what to do to become a journalist the careers officer told me to work in print.”

Peter started work on the Nottingham Evening News straight from school as a junior clerk in 1961, moving to Oswestry in 1973 to work on the presses, before re-training to follow his earliest ambition of becoming a journalist.

He joined the Advertizer in 1986 and became deputy editor three years later.

He is one of a select few journalists to have worked on every incarnation of the newspapers, from hot metal printing through to today’s digital format.

Editor Susan Perry said: “To say goodbye to such long-serving, hardworking member of staff is very sad. I have had the pleasure of working alongside Peter for the past 23 years. He is dedicated and caring colleague who will be missed by us all at NWN Media Ltd and we wish him a healthy, happy and long retirement.”

Peter plans to spend his retirement going on walks and doing some freelance work.