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Tributes to photographer who worked for regional press into his 80s

Arthur KayA photojournalist who until recently was still freelancing for his local newspaper has died aged 85.

Tributes have been paid to Arthur Kay, described as a “legend” among colleagues, who declined a career in the national press in favour of working on papers across Devon in a career which lasted more than 60 years.

Subjects of his ranged from LS Lowry to The Beatles and Margaret Thatcher to Donald Sutherland as part of his work for Plymouth’s Sunday Independent, among other titles.

The son of a Lancashire coal miner, Arthur, pictured above left, began his career at the Bolton Evening News after national service in the RAF.

In the 1960s he was offered a job on the Daily Mirror, but opted for the quieter life of Devon instead on a group of newspapers including the Sunday Independent, then owned by the Mirror Group and operating as its training scheme.

Arthur moved with his young family to Dartmouth, and was based in Newton Abbot at the Mid Devon Advertiser throughout the 1970s and early 80s.

He also freelanced for national titles, and later became the Independent’s chief photographer.

The paper’s sports Editor John Collings, a long-time colleague, said: “Arthur set himself very high standards and his work always reflected that dedication, and a lifetime’s devotion to the cause – definitely ‘old school’, mischievous, yet loveable.”

Sunday Independent picture editor and Plymouth-based freelance photographer Guy Channing, who trained with Arthur, described him as “a statesman of his trade, no-one will come remotely close to filling the gap he has left – always professional, always funny, always Arthur”.

After his retirement from his staff job in the 1990s, Arthur returned to freelancing. He was still taking pictures for South Hams Newspapers, based in his home town, Kingsbridge, until very recently.

In recent months he had produced an article for the Sunday Independent on the BBC television programme The Onedin Line, in which, as an extra, he played several roles when it was filmed in Dartmouth in the 1970s.

He also supplied imagery for the book The Promised Land, by the writer and journalist Stuart Fraser.

Stuart first worked with Arthur in 1982, and has been a close friend ever since.

He said:”‘To a generation of journalists, Arthur was a legend: his photography was superb, his humour razor-sharp, his principles absolute and his company the greatest of joys.”

A lifelong socialist, Arthur was an official for many years in the National Union of Journalists, which conferred honorary life membership upon him.

Outside of his work, Arthur was passionate about rugby union, music – his idol was the jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond – books, films, good food, red wine, malt whisky and good company.

Kevin Marriott, sports editor of The Cornishman, West Briton and Cornish Guardian, described Arthur as “a legend of a man… a true great of our profession”, while Guy Henderson, digital Editor of the Torquay Herald Express, said he was “the finest of blokes”.

Tony Carney, a former Plymouth Evening Herald Picture Editor who trained with Arthur, added: “We would talk for hours about the business we both loved so much and I was so grateful to have the chance to learn from a master of the art of press photography.

“Most of all I am so glad to have called him my friend.”

Arthur died peacefully at home, and is survived by his children, grandchildren and friends. Funeral plans are yet to be confirmed.

3 comments

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  • October 13, 2015 at 1:38 pm
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    great example of a top class local journalist not dazzled by the lights and rat race of the national press. His local papers got the benefit.

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  • October 14, 2015 at 8:27 am
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    I worked with Arthur for a number of years. A true professional,down-to-earth with a wicked sense of humour, totally dependable and an excellent photographer.

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  • October 18, 2015 at 8:02 pm
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    Sad to see the passing of Arthur – a lovely man – good friend.
    I hope Stu Fraser is ok .cause he was a big friend of Arthur

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