A former weekly newspaper reporter who became a journalist when she was in her 60s has died in hospital at the age of 90.
Eileen Buxton was already in her mid-60s when she landed a post as a freelance village correspondent and feature writer for the weekly Skegness News, soon after it was launched by publishers and printers Mortons of Horncastle.
She then became a part-time staff writer, during which time she wrote a light-hearted column, which became one of the most popular features of the paper.
Eileen remained at the title when Johnston Press took it over and merged it into the Skegness Standard, until later deciding to move back to Nottingham where she had spent most of her adult life.
She has now died at Nottingham City Hospital and former Skegness News editor Jim Wright has paid tribute to her.
He said: “As well as being a brilliant interviewer and writer, Eileen was always immensely enthusiastic.
“She was happy to sit through entire council meeting even if – as often happened – they stretched long in to the evening.
“To her, it was always a source of pride, happiness and gratitude that, at long last, the opportunity had arisen for her to fulfil her schoolgirl ambition to become a journalist.
“Eileen made a huge contribution to the newspaper scene on the Lincolnshire Coast.”
Eileen was a keen sports fan and in her younger days, had regularly attended Nottingham Forest football matches and she also loved watching Wimbledon.
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what a wonderful and inspiring story – Is there hope for me I wonder being 60 and keen to break into journalism?
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What a wonderfully inspiring story. I am a writer aged 60 and would love to break into journalism full time
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Yes Chris Owen, of course there is hope. Find and research a story and take it to your local newspaper editor. Then do it again. And again. If they are good stories and written well then someone will notice.
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Fred. And even better if you offer them for nothing. Sounds marvellous woman though. Did she quit before Atex stuck its ugly and empty head in the door? I hope so.
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When I met Eileen I was a freelance photographer freelancing for the Standard and the News. The News staff had relocated to the Standard office, so there were two newspapers working in the same office, actually within a few feet of each other. This seemed a strange situation to me, but economically it made sense of course. Eileen, as well as Jim Wright, the editor of the News, would sometimes brief me on the photographs that she wanted to be taken. She was always very pleasant and courteous and I’m sure that she was a good journalist, as she could easily engage with people. I’m now retired and am absorbed in my hobbies of fiction writing and filmmaking. God bless you, Eileen.
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