Ink in my Blood, my half century in newspapers by Neil Haverson - publishing 28 March 2018

Join Neil Haverson on his 50-year ride through the Norfolk and Suffolk newspaper industry. Neil has witnessed it all in the ever-changing regional media world – from flongs, hot metal and office cricket to full colour printing, digital editions and the web.

For much of his career, Neil worked in Eastern Counties Newspapers, latterly Archant’s commercial arm, but his talent as a humorous writer was discovered on the in-house Prospect magazine. This led to sporting columns and the famous ‘Fortress H’ dispatches in the Eastern Daily Press.

In this book Neil presents the ‘greatest hits’ from his Norwich Mercury, Eastern Daily Press and Let’s Talk magazine columns and his reflections on half a century of ink in his blood.

Neil Haverson

Neil Haverson worked in the Norfolk and Suffolk newspaper industry for more than 50 years. He began his career in the mid 1960s as an advertising clerk on the Lynn News & Advertiser, before moving to Norwich and Eastern Counties Newspapers (now Archant) at the dawn of the 1970s.

Neil continued in advertising, but by the end of the1980s, his skills as a writer were recognised thanks to humorous articles contributed to Prospect, ECN’s staff magazine. He was offered a sporting column in the Norwich Mercury and after three years graduated to a weekly column in the Eastern Daily Press. It soon was a regular fixture, as Neil’s wry look at family life, ‘Fortress H’, became a must-read.

In 2002 Neil made the full transfer from advertising to editorial, when he became chief writer for Let’s Talk, Archant’s new magazine for the mature reader. He was promoted to editor in 2009, a role he successfully fulfilled, until he retired at the end of 2016.

In retirement, he continues to contribute his monthly ‘Last Word’ column to Let’s Talk and a Saturday ‘Fortress H’ column, every fortnight in the Eastern Daily Press.

Neil lives at 'Fortress H' near Norwich with the 'long-suffering' Mrs H. Brats Major and Minor are no longer based at Neil's Norfolk stronghold.

Ink in my Blood

My half century in newspapers

Neil Haverson

Published by Paul Dickson, Wednesday 28 March 2018

Paperback A5, 160 pages, plus 8 pages of illustrations.

Price £11, ISBN 978-0-9956187-4-9