A former political journalist who worked at a regional daily for more than 40 years until taking early retirement last year has died at the age of 63.

David Watson, left, first started working for the Belfast Telegraph after leaving school but his love of travel prompted him to go to the Far East, where he met his former wife Anna and he spent some time working for the South China Morning Post.

He returned to the Telegraph in 1974 as City Hall correspondent and then became political correspondent, a position he held for 20 years, before becoming education correspondent and later working on the production side.

David died suddenly on Wednesday evening on the same day he had enjoyed a Christmas lunch in Belfast with a group of his former colleagues from the paper.

Former Telegraph business correspondent Robin Morton, who worked with David and was a long-standing friend, has written an obituary for the paper about him.

He writes: “It is of some consolation to those of us who knew him and worked with him that he had spent several happy hours in the company of a group of former Telegraph colleagues at a Christmas lunch in Belfast earlier on the day he died.

“David was in notably good form, telling me with pride that he had climbed snow-covered Slieve Donard the previous Saturday — his third ascent of the peak over the past year — but also complaining jokingly of how long it took his muscles to recover.

“He was also relating how pleased he was to have been invited to act as usher at his sister Stephanie’s wedding in England next year.

“And he was hugely looking forward to the arrival back in Belfast for Christmas of his two sons, Conall and Owen, of whom he was so proud and whose careers he followed so closely.”

Robin said he had worked closely with David as his deputy on the political desk for 10 years from 1980, covering a turbulent period in Northern Ireland’s history.

He added: “David covered the political scene without fear or favour. He was respected by press officers and politicians and they knew he was someone who always stood his ground.

“I count myself fortunate to have worked with him and I learnt a lot from him, as well as enjoying his company.”