A regional daily’s entertainments guru who was praised by Michael Barrymore and insulted on-stage by Jim Davidson has brought the curtain down on his career after almost four decades.

Robin Duke started out as a reporter at The Gazette in Blackpool and went on to edit the paper’s ents section, covering everything from television and theatre to food and drink and helping to run a popular rock competition for almost 30 years.

During his time at the paper, he flung himself into the showbiz scene, judging talent competitions, pop quizzes for the fire brigade, a TV karaoke contest and even wet T-shirt contests – as well as reviewing local shows, not always to the pleasure of the act concerned.

While he still owns thank you notes from the likes of Michael Barrymore and Brian Conley in response to favourable reviews, controversial comic Jim Davidson lambasted him on-stage in a tirade littered with four-letter words and labelled him an “idiot”.

He also clashed with popular comedian Les Dawson, who refused to speak to him for two years following a negative review – until finally admitting it had been accurate. Robin was later invited to his wedding.

On another occasion, he was escorted from a venue by security after a vengeful headline act spotted him in the crowd, and he was attacked by a member of a local band who disagreed with his judging of them in a competition,

Before becoming more involved in arts and entertainment, Robin’s reporting days saw him work as part of a team which saved the town’s Grand Theatre from demolition, visit Greece to interview locals from Blackpool, and spend several days in Northern Ireland’s “murder triangle.”

In a nostalgic farewell piece, Robin reminisced about what the newsroom was like when he began his career.

“The Gazette had several editions back then plus weekly papers across the coast. We worked on typewriters, wrote everything in triplicate, telephoned copy from town or court, burned the midnight oil writing reviews in the office and had to explain to the fearsome switchboard operator Norma every external call we wanted to make,” he said.

“The smell of hot metal was in the air, we had more library staff than we’ve got reporters now and some of the classified advertising girls could have won beauty contests (and at least one did).”

The Gazette entertainments editor Robin Duke, who has bowed out after almost 40 years

In 1978, Robin was one of just 17 journalists in the world awarded a Rotary Scholarship, and chose Columbia University in New York to study for a year.

There, he continued to write for The Gazette with a column entitled Duke in New York – while examining how American newspapers tackled entertainment coverage before being promoted to entertainments editor on his return.

Added Robin:  “Over the years I’ve reviewed something like 4,000 shows – contrary to rumour 2,000 of them haven’t just been Cannon and Ball, Joe Longthorne and the Grumbleweeds ones.

“I was lucky enough to be writing about shows and showbusiness when Blackpool truly was the Las Vegas of England. Each of the three piers had its own summer show, there was the Opera House, the late lamented ABC, Winter Gardens Pavilion, Opera House, Grand Theatre and much more.

“It’s been, as the parlance goes, “quite a journey”. Thanks to everyone who joined me on it.”