Much-loved journalist Tina Currie has died after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Warm tributes have been paid to the writer who charted the trials, tribulations and triumphs of her home city of Bath over more than four decades.

The former women’s editor wrote for the paper for 42 years and her weekly column became one of its most avidly read sections.

Friends described Tina, who died the day after her 65th birthday, as “the voice of the Chronicle”.

The Chronicle’s editor, David Gledhill, said: “For so many years Tina had her finger on the pulse of Bath. She knew how Bathonians felt, she knew what it was like to raise a family, to be part of the very fabric that makes up this fantastic city.

“Our readers trusted her, relied upon her and will miss her terribly.”

Tina started work at the Chronicle, then called the Evening Chronicle, as a junior reporter in 1957.

Over the years she worked with ten editors and developed a loyal following of readers.

The mother of two became women’s editor in 1963, worked for the paper until she turned freelance in 1990 and wrote her column until she retired in 1999.

Close friend and former Chronicle journalist Jasmine Profit first met Tina in 1981 after starting work at the paper.

She said: “She was a quite remarkable person – she was certainly one of the best friends I ever had. She will leave a massive gap in a lot of people’s lives.

“To thousands of people in Bath she was the voice and the face of the Chronicle, more so than anyone else who has ever worked there.

“I’ll remember her sense of humour. She was just the most enormous fun to be with. If there was a party, she was at the centre of it.”

On assignment on HMS Sheffield

Gerald Walker, a former sub-editor and associate editor of the Chronicle, knew Tina for all her working life.

He said: “Tina really cared about the issues and the people she was writing about, and really became involved.

“In her illness she was bright right until the end. It is unbelievable how brave she was.”

Christopher Hansford, the Chronicle’s arts writer, said: “She was forthright, funny and had the knack of saying what most people thought in their heart of hearts.

“And she never wasted a word. Any sub-editor who worked on her copy would know that if they had to lose a line of her copy, they could search in vain for a superfluous word. The city, and the profession, is the poorer for her death.”

Former editor Maurice Boardman said: “She was a great character, very bubbly. I knew her for a good number of years. She was a loyal member of staff and had a very light touch with her writing.”

Tina shared her memories with readers to mark 125 years of the Chronicle.

Click here to read all about it.

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