An “old school” news editor who spent almost 40 years at a regional daily has died after a battle with lung cancer at the age of 70.
Mick Wood worked at the Staffordshire-based Sentinel as a crime reporter and then news editor until his retirement in 2001.
In is time there, he covered some of the biggest crime stories in the region, including the murder by “Black Panther” Donald Neilson of transport heiress Lesley Whittle in 1974.
Mick, pictured below, died at the weekend from lung cancer and tributes have been paid to him by his former colleagues at the paper.
An obituary by senior features writer John Woodhouse described Mick as “a larger than life character whose commitment could never be doubted.”
He wrote: “The words one hears most when attached to Mick Wood is ‘old school’. And, indeed, if you wished to widen the extremes of your vocabulary, he was a great man to sit next to for 10 minutes.
“But there was much more to the former Sentinel news editor than the odd expletive-strewn outburst.
“For here was a man who, in his desire to get the best out of his journalists, and, therefore, produce the very the finest newspaper, inspired great loyalty and affection.”
John added: “Down the years, we formed a close friendship, one that reached beyond the newsroom to reveal a sensitive and caring man, one who, in contrast to the journalistic stereotype, was unafraid to show emotion. I shall miss him an awful lot.”
As crime reporter, Mick covered some of the region’s biggest stories, including the Black Panther murders, the Clough Street car park death, the notorious Boarded Barn murders at Scholar Green and the prostitute murders in Stoke-on-Trent.
He went on to become news editor – a role he performed with “remarkable skill and alacrity”.
Sentinel editor-in-chief Martin Tideswell said: “Woody wouldn’t mind me describing him as a hard-drinking, chain-smoking, constantly-swearing news editor of the old school – something only a handful of us still remember.
“He had a terrific news sense, great contacts, an encyclopaedic knowledge of local life, and was very much admired by colleagues because they knew he was Sentinel through and through and had a heart of gold.”
Long-term colleague Alan Cookman said: “He was a newsman through and through.
“It was crime that really got him out of bed in the morning. When there was a big crime in the area, a murder, he really came alive. He used to amaze the national press boys.
“He’d just breeze up to senior police officers and ask: ‘What’s happening, youth?’ because he knew so many of them. Amazing really.”
Court reporter Dianne Gibbons MBE added: “Mick was a one-off. There were times when you loved to hate him as news editor.
“He once asked me to go and see a Crown Court judge and ask him to put a case he needed first on his list!
“As crime reporter he was unrivalled. His police contacts were legendary – which was helpful to everyone who worked alongside him.
“He was utterly committed to his job. But there was a soft and very kind side to ‘Woody’ and I was privileged to call him a friend.”
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Mick Wood was an outstanding regional newspapermen; a consummate professional who unstintingly passed on his expertise to so many colleagues who
went on to take up senior appointments within his own newspaper and across journalism.
As a reporter, news editor and later head of content his strengths were a superb news sense, endless enthusiasm and unrivalled local knowledge. At the height of its print production Mick drove The Sentinel’s editionised news service with a mesmerizing knowledge of community life in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire.
The fact that he did so with colour, passion and an energy that lit up the editorial floor should not overshadow his considerable human qualities – among them a generosity of spirit and an aversion to pettiness and self interest, from which all who worked for him benefited greatly at various times.
He was, indeed, one of the old school.
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Mick Wood was the ultimate character at a time when journalism was full of characters. He could motivate staff and manage a breaking news story better than anyone.
He drove us to distraction… but he was a brilliant journalist and despite all the Mick-isms, we always knew he had our backs and that we could trust him absolutely… He’d shout, and criticise, and exasperate us all but if any of his team ever had a difficulty or problem he would be totally supportive.
I am privileged to say I was one of his ‘lads’.
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While I’m sure he regarded me as an uppity youth, I had a great six months or so at the Sentinel, mainly down to people like Mick Wood. A proper news man, famous for his ‘Woodisms’. I particularly remember one conference where he was punting a story about “people having sex up other people’s entries”. A true legend.
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Mick worked with my dad at the Sentinel and I know my dad had a lot of respect for him as a ‘proper’ journalist. I often bumped into Mick around Congleton in the years after my dad died and he’d always ask after my mum and family. A true gentleman.
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I’ve just returned from Cyprus to read this sad news. I had the privilege of working for two years at the Sentinel with Mick. It was a thorough education for me. Once he took me to a Stoke City match and I lost two days! Brilliant bloke, and a great news editor.
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Mick was the best news editor I ever worked with.
He had an acute news sense and love and knowledge of his patch.
He taught me a heck of a lot and I’ll always be thankful.
But most of all he was a great bloke. He’s left us with lots of fond memories and I look back on my time at The Sentinel as my happiest in journalism, as does Gill.
Cheers, Mick
Richard Mather & Gill Abbott
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