John Condliffe, chairman of the Chronicle series in Congleton, has died, aged 76.

The newspaperman had spent his entire journalism career with the newspaper, joining the weekly as a cub reporter in 1943 and serving as chairman and proprietor until his death.

During his time with the newspaper he spent 30 years as editor, before handing over the editor’s chair to his son Jeremy, the current editor and managing director.

Before joining the Chronicle John had worked at Kidsgrove Gasworks, while looking for a job in journalism, the only job he ever wanted – although his father was against the change, as the gasworks offered job security and a pension.

John Condliffe

When John joined the Chronicle newspapers were very different to today’s high tech offices.

The editor, Lionel Head, had a typewriter, desk and chair, the senior reporter had only a desk and chair and cub reporter John had only a desk, at which he stood to write copy in longhand.

The metal type was set by Linotype and Intertype machines, with headlines and anything else in big type set by hand.

Rolls of newsprint were not used and each of the sheets had to be fed by hand into the old press, which had no folding facility, so that after they had been printed, pages had to be fed by hand, into an ancient folding machine, kept together with string and wire.

In 1949 John launched the Sandbach edition of the Chronicle, staying in Sandbach for two years before being made chief reporter and moving back to Congleton, though it was in Sandbach that he met his wife Shirley.

He stayed with the company for the rest of his life, leaving only for National Service in 1946, working as a shorthand writer in the War Office.

Eventually, along with business partner Ray Stacey, he bought out the company from the Head family in 1988.

Over the years he gave untold help to many organisations in the area and was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who came looking for information or guidance.

Latterly, in his partial retirement, he spent much of his time helping people with historical research, spending many hours looking through the Chronicle archives, which date back to 1893.

John was also a long-time supporter of Congleton Talking Newspaper.

However, his major achievement was to keep the Chronicle as an independent newspaper, despite the increased competition, growth of national and multinational newspaper companies and the increased cost of new technology.

John leaves a wife Shirley, who he married in 1957, and sons Jeremy and Andrew.

His funeral will take place on Friday, January 21, at St. Mary’s Church, Astbury.