Ray Horsfield: Tributes paid to former Lancashire Telegraph journalist

Mr Horsfield’s journalistic career spanned across the 20th century as he worked his way up from cub reporter to becoming news editor of Blackburn’s Evening Star and later associate editor of the Evening Echo in Bournemouth.

Despite his relocation to the South, the lifelong Burnley FC fan remained a Lancashire man at heart.

Raymond Horsfield 

Daughter Michaela said: “He always called a spade a spade he was very direct and didn’t suffer fools gladly, but he’d always take a young journalist under his wing and be there to guide them.

“Tim Walker who was at the Daily Telegraph and Mark Austin who’s now at Sky were two of them, and he’d always help them regardless of background.”

Born in Brierfield in 1935 to mill worker Clarence and his wife Hilda, the young Raymond grew up and attended schools in Colne with his younger sister Celia.

However, he was just eight years old when the Horsfield family was hit by the kind of tragedy that had become all too common during the Second World War when Clarence was killed at the Battle of Longstop Hill in Tunisia while serving with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in April 1943.

Michaela said: “Whenever he could he’d go over to Tunisia to visit his father’s grave, so he went over a few times.”

As a young man, Mr Horsfield undertook national service with the RAF, spending nine months as a cadet in 1953, before being stationed in Singapore where he met Marjorie Rowe, herself serving with the WRAF.

The pair married in August 1955 and would go on to have four children: Belinda, Christopher, Michaela and Andrew.

The family returned to the UK shortly after the birth of Belinda, where Mr Horsfield found what would be his lifelong calling with a job at the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Embodying the social mobility that defined the post-war era, the son of a mill worker rose first to become chief district reporter for Burnley and then news editor of the Evening Star.

A career highlight for the Clarets fan came when during this period he had his picture taken in a local hospital bed with manager Harry Potts and player Brian Miller.

Raymond Horsfield in a publicity shot with Burnley FC manager Harry Potts, player Brian Miller and two local nurses

On moving to Bournemouth in 1979, Mr Horsfield first as news editor and then associate editor of the Evening Echo was known for his innovative approach, introducing a Gardeners’ Echo supplement and Prime Time, a stand- alone publication for the over-50s to the paper’s stable.

The by-then veteran journalist continued as a freelance writer and part time local tourism office worker in the New Forest after his retirement in 2000 and was thrilled to see his children follow in his footsteps.

Son Christopher, who sadly died in 1993, worked for the Advertiser series in Southampton, Andrew meanwhile was also a photographer for the Advertiser and for the Daily Echo, while daughter Michaela was a newspaper librarian and nostalgia writer.

His eldest child, Belinda by contrast was an art teacher in Petersfield and now runs her own workshops.

Unfortunately, Mr Horsfield suffered from dementia in his later years and died at Bournemouth Hospital from pneumonia on January 10 2021, leaving his children, grandchildren, Michael and Emma, and companion Jill Millikin.

The funeral was held at Hinton Wood Burial Ground and donations in Raymond Horsfield's name came be made to the Journalists’ Charity by contacting sarahpearce@pressfund.org.uk.