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Industrial editor who turned down promotion job dies aged 87

Brian HopeA journalist who turned down the deputy editor’s job at a regional daily because he preferred to be a writer has died aged 87.

Tributes have been paid to Brian Hope, pictured, who served the Manchester Evening News for almost 40 years as its industrial editor.

Brian had joined the MEN aged 20 after working first for the Ashton Reporter, and was described as a “key member of the newsroom” covering industry in the 1970s and 1980s.

He also reported from Northern Ireland during the height of The Troubles and wrote leader columns for the newspaper.

Brian’s son Mark told the MEN: “Dad was a highly entertaining and articulate man with tremendous knowledge of the world and particularly politics and industry, having been Industrial Editor at the Manchester Evening News for the best part of 40 years.

“He was working in the days when unions were strong, and there was a plethora of union conferences, and technology was weak and transport poor, travelling the country and the world with other journalists and cameramen reporting on stories of all kinds.”

Mark, 59, added: “He was a kind and active father. He met my mum in his teens. In the early days they attended Oldham Coliseum as my dad did the review of the latest play.

“But my mum’s dad was strict, and dad always had to leave before the end to get my mum home before the curfew. He relied on his mates to fill him in on the ending.

“Dad had a full and interesting and active life and was universally liked. He will be sorely missed by the family and all his friends.”

Brian is survived by wife Olive, to whom he was married for 65 years, and sons Mark, 62-year-old Carl and 54-year-old Simon.

He died peacefully in the early hours of 3 December at North Manchester General Hospital.