Shorthand-my gateway to Reuters

I was fascinated to read Natsuko’s piece last week and discover that shorthand is alive and well and still being learned. I thought I was a solitary dinosaur.

I had worked on local and regional papers including the Birmingham Mail and along the way I acquired 130 wpm shorthand. (Not fast enough, as I discovered). In 1974, I applied to the parliamentary team of the Press Association who wrote back that they didn’t have a vacancy, but that Reuters did. On such a random chance hinged a career.

Mike Hughes was working with Bill Dunn in the Reuters parliamentary office. Bill was a relic of the days when Reuters had the contract to produce copy for the BBC radio’s late evening Today in Parliament. He was still living in that era – producing a straight he said/she said screed of quotes which had to be moulded into a news story on the desk. Mike, needless to say, found this boring and was desperate to return to head office.

I wonder how much the press gallery has changed? In those days jobs came and went mysteriously with no advert or interview. Maybe this was because there was a Press Gallery Masonic Lodge of which Bill was a leading light. In quiet moments he used to practise walking around the office in squares. No wonder Mike wanted out.

I had chat with World Service Editor Jack Henry, did a subbing test on World Desk, and got the job, largely on the strength of the shorthand. Chief News Editor Ian Macdowall told me on my first day that he wanted serious changes made to the Westminster operation: we needed to write stories which were in Reuters style and ready to be filed. I tried feebly to work towards this, but Bill was immoveable. Now there was a dinosaur. ■