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He kept his hand in, by writing part-time for his local paper, the Oxford Mail, and on graduation in 1953, took up a position as industrial correspondent there.

Arnold quickly rose through the ranks, first working as a feature writer then in news and finally as deputy editor.

In 1964, he returned home once more to take up his first editorship on the paper where it all began, in Darlington with the Northern Echo.

After nine years Bradford became his next port of call, as editor on the Telegraph & Argus.

He said: "And after 11 years there and never one to resist a challenge, I decided to take up the proposition of running a big weekly newspaper group.

"So in 1984 I took on the role of group editor of the Lincolnshire Standard Group, which owned 14 titles."

And there he stayed until his retirement, but unable to cure the reporting bug, he has since looked for an outlet for his passion for writing.

In 1991, a charity, the British Executive Service Overseas, provided a new challenge.

Arnold said: "It is a charity which works mainly in third world countries and the poorer parts of Europe, helping out in hospitals and with training.

"It is made up mainly of retired men and women and I find it very rewarding."

Arnold uses his journalistic experience to teach and train willing writers all over the world where there would otherwise be no opportunity to do so.

Since joining up 11 years ago, Arnold has been on nine assignments throughout the world passing on his experiences - and continuing to learn himself.

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