Monday 22 March 2010
Walsh, wheelchair-bound after a stroke five years ago, entertained his guests with tales of scoops in exotic places and many long lunches at a party in Chapeltown, near Sheffield, where he now lives in a care home.
Tributes flowed in from around the world, including one from former editor-in-chief Michael Reupke and another from former diplomatic editor Mohsin Ali.
Walsh moved back to England from France last year to be nearer to his son and daughter, Terry and Theresa. He spoke of his deep love of France but thanked his family “for getting me back to Blighty. It was time … although I’ll never forget that flight on Ryanair.”
Walsh had been living in a care home in the Vendée region of France but found himself very isolated after the sudden deaths of both his wife Veronika and elder son Brendan.
After retiring from Reuters in the 1980s, Walsh joined the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris as head of communications. Many of his former ICC colleagues travelled from far and wide to join the party, including first director Martin Wassell. The Reuters contingent included Mike Nelson, Steve Somerville, Bob Taylor, Jack Hartzman, Bob Hart and Tony Winning.
Among the long lunch stories, Winning remembered one with Walsh at Chez Georges in Paris. Walsh had just arrived as the new chief correspondent and Winning was the news editor. “We had a few things to discuss,” said Winning. “We started at noon and had everything more or less sorted by 8 pm, when the dinner guests wanted our table.”
“I’m glad I got you into Reuters,” said Walsh.
Pictured, left to right, are Tony Winning, Steve Somerville, Mike Nelson, Jack Hartzman, Lionel Walsh and Bob Taylor.
Lionel Walsh leaves France for UK
Wednesday 7 October 2009
Lionel Walsh, former correspondent and editor in Bonn, Geneva, London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Warsaw, has moved from France to Sheffield, UK to be near his son, Terry, Julian Nundy writes.
Walsh says the trip, organised by Terry and his daughter, Theresa, started with a Ryanair flight from Nantes to East Midlands airport. He says the journey, with lengthy car trips at each end, went smoothly and he's pleased with the change. He says he finds the food – he mentioned shepherd's pie and Yorkshire pudding – to his taste and that the staff are very kind. As always, he would love to hear from old friends and colleagues.
Walsh’s new coordinates are:
Chapel Lodge Care Home, 105 Station Road, Chapeltown, South Yorkshire S35 2XF, UK
+44 1142 454180
His e-mail remains the same: lionel.walsh@iccwbo.org
Lionel Walsh: A tale of courage and solidarity
Tuesday 12 May 2009
by Jack Gee (Reuters 1953-1958)
This is a tale of courage and solidarity. The hero is Lionel Walsh, a long service Reuter man whose postings included France, Germany and Latin America. He was felled by a stroke two years ago. Since then tragedy has struck twice again: Lionel's wife and elder son have both died of cancer.
Twice a week since he was half paralysed, Harrogate-born Lionel is pushed in a wheelchair from his French rest centre to a local school at l’Hermenault in the Loire Valley where he gives English lessons to 30 pre-teens.
Totally numbed on the left side of his body, lion-hearted Lionel gave a seasonal image to his curriculum at Easter. His pupils listened eagerly as Lionel told them: ”French tradition has it that in Easter week church bells fly from their steeples off to Rome. On Easter Sunday the bells fly back, carrying Easter eggs and hiding them in people’s gardens.”
Lionel read to his amused young audience: “In England, the Easter Bunny brings delicious chocolate Easter eggs for all children who have been good during the past year. The Easter Bunny hides the eggs in the garden. Actually it is usually Mummy and Daddy who hide the eggs for the children to find. They can then eat a piece of their Easter egg every day, taking care not to make themselves sick. With care, a really big Easter egg will last several weeks. Happy Easter, children of l’Hermenault!”
Chantal Dormegnies, the mayor of l’Hermenault, told me: “Lionel is an exceptional person. Life has not been kind to him. But he has responded to personal tragedy with generosity and consideration for our children and their parents. These kiddies get a valuable push forwards in the relentless French schooling programme.”
Fabienne Micaud-Richard, headmistress of the village primary school, said: “Thanks to Lionel, our children are getting a privileged start in spoken English from a man who gives a real and practical sense to solidarity and courage.”
Lionel, a former director of communications at the International Chamber of Commerce, is a modest person. For that I can vouch as a friend for over 30 years. He merely says: “These English courses have helped me cope with my paralysis. I hope they been useful to the kiddies.”
His family live in England. Most of his friends are former colleagues from Reuters and from the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce where, as director of communications, he was always ready with a smile and helping hand to business journalists.
Until the successive tragic deaths last year of his wife Veronika at 72 and his elder son Brendan at 47, their visits brightened a dismal routine. His brother, retired General Michael Walsh who is a former Chief Scout, is now 82. Clearly, ageing kinsfolk cannot be expected to visit him for ever. Reuter friends who are particularly assiduous in visiting Lionel include Julian Nundy and Donald Armour.
Looking ahead, Lionel is not attracted by the idea of leaving l’Hermenault. He regards this French village, his carers and his enthusiastic pupils as his closest ties with the world at large. He relies on television for company, repeatedly playing World War II DVDs. So don’t chuck your oldies out: they have a keen fan in Lionel.
Lionel is preparing yet another topic close to his pupils. He will soon explain the workings of pounds and pennies to youngsters whose pocket money – and outgoings -- are paid in euros. “Valuable information in an era of economic crisis,” says Lionel with the smile that never leaves him.
Lionel would be glad to hear from former colleagues. His address is: Lionel Walsh, Residence Bellevue, 46, rue Salomon Raitig, 85570 L'Hermenault, France. E-mail is ● lionel.walsh@iccwbo.org.
● CLICK to read his online autobiography, Lionel Walsh: My Life and Times.
Photo: Adeline Roy
A smile from Lionel Walsh
Thursday 7 August 2008
Lionel Walsh, former correspondent and editor in Bonn, Geneva, London, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Warsaw, smiles as he greets old friends and colleagues for lunch in La Rochelle, western France, on Thursday.
Walsh, who left Reuters in 1981, suffered a stroke at the beginning of 2004 and is in a home in the Vendée, near the house that he and his wife Veronika* bought in the early 1980s. He is wheelchair-bound and has lost the use of his left side, says Julian Nundy.
Nundy and Donald Armour are in regular contact and can give tips about travel to anyone who might be able to visit Walsh (go to ● Directory for their contact details).
"Lionel really appreciates e-mails and calls," Nundy says. "He needs to be kept in the loop. If anyone is passing through the region – it’s easily accessible from the Loire Valley and southern Brittany – then a diversion to take Lionel out for a bit would make a huge difference to his routine."
● CLICK to read his online autobiography, Lionel Walsh: My Life and Times.
Walsh’s contact details:
Résidence Bellevue, 46 rue Salomon Raitig, 85570 L'Hermenault, France
+33 2 51 51 54 91
● lionel.walsh@iccwbo.org
*Veronika Walsh died on 17 February 2009.
