The clock was turned back 50 years recently when former reporter Primrose Minney visited the Essex Chronicle’s headquarters.

Now 72, the former Chronicle trainee still works part-time as a sub-editor on the Sunday Times magazine.
She was interviewed by Ivan Sage.

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It was the first time Primrose has set foot inside the newspaper’s offices in which she worked from 1951 to 1953 when it was based in Chelmsford High Street in a building now occupied by Jessops, the photographic shop opposite the Saracens Head.

Although she is now 72 years old, Primrose is still involved in the world of newspapers, commuting three days a week from her home in Lawford, near Manningtree, to London where she is employed as a sub-editor on the Sunday Times magazine.

The hustle and bustle of meeting press deadlines can prove very stressful to people far younger than primrose but she takes it all in her stride – her only concession to her age being a recent reduction of one day in her working week.

However, there is far more to Primrose than her involvement in newspaper and magazine production (as the accompanying story will confirm) and, when Chronicle editorial director Stuart Rawlins heard about her, he was keen to invite her back to the Chronicle to hear her story.

“I was in my early twenties when I first arrived at the Essex Chronicle,” said Primrose.

“When I started the Chronicle was run by Reggie (RJ) Thompson.

“I remember Reggie telling me I should always get the point of the story across as early as possible in each report. He used the Bible as an example.

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