An award-winning arts editor who spent almost 30 years at a regional daily has died at his home in France at the age of 71.

Charles Roberts, left, joined the Eastern Daily Press in July 1968 when it was based at its former headquarters at Redwell Street in Norwich, initially as a reporter covering Norfolk County Council.

He became arts and literary editor at the title in 1975 and wrote with authority on the theatre and arts in Norfolk, while also writing and performing shows himself.

Charles, who became known as CVR to readers, moved to France in his retirement and has now died after a long illness.

The paper has published a two-page piece to Charles following his death.

His journalism career began at a north Staffordshire weekly paper, the City Times, in 1960 and after six months, he joined Stoke daily The Sentinel.

Charles then went on to work for three-years in Saudi Arabia, where he became editor of the Kuwait Oil Company’s weekly news magazine, before he returned to England and started working for the EDP in 1968.

He remained there until taking early retirement at the age of 56 in 1997 but continued with a regular column for the paper until 2009.

Ian Collins, a former long-serving feature writer on the EDP, has written a tribute to him for the paper.

He wrote: “When I arrived at the Norwich HQ of this newspaper in 1978 his journalistic solo show had already been running for a decade and had not yet started on the second act.

“Although he came from a long line of characters parading with colourful talents in these pages, Charles V Roberts was also very much a one-off (I even thought that middle initial must stand for Very).

“By the time I knew him he had hung up the cape and cane with which his legend continued to be adorned. But I’m sure I remember white gloves and, of course, he never ceased to throw down the gauntlet in private and in print.

“He made daily entrances and exits and gave sustained bravura performances to light up the hours in between. When Charles was talking on the phone the rest of the office had no choice but to listen.

“We would have paused for an entertainment break anyway, since CVR in full flow (which was most of the time) was highly amusing.

“His enthusiasms were excellent and his rows were legion. Although an avowed Tory he was no respecter of authority when it was not his own.”

During his time at the EDP, Charles campaigned for funding for the Theatre Royal and Norwich Playhouse and was a founder trustee of the Sewell Barn Theatre.

He won the first John Bourne Memorial Award for a series of articles on the amateur theatre in 1970 and won it again in 1973, while in October 1992, he was named Britain’s top regional arts critic.

Charles’ enthusiasm for churches led to a joint venture with Sam Mortlock to produce the first volume of the Popular Guide to Norfolk Churches, which was published in 1981.

He spent many holidays in France and decided to settle in a remote region there with his partner Guy in his retirement.

Charles’ funeral will be held in France on Saturday (8 Dec).