A KEY figure in the development of the Hexham Courant as one of the North East’s leading newspapers has died at the age of 94.
The Hexham Courant, which has reported on news across the Tyne Valley since 1864, from Ponteland and Prudhoe to Allendale and Bellingham, was established as one of the region's leading newspapers in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Former owner and subsequent chairman and chief executive of the paper, Lynne Plummer, presided over the far-reaching changes which saw traditional hot metal printing processes in the office in Beaumont Street give way to computer typesetting in the early 1980s.
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The newspaper industry was in Lynne Plummer’s blood, for he was the great-grandson of Joseph Catherall, the man who founded the paper in 1864.
Mr Plummer succeeded his father Benny as proprietor of the paper, and was very much a hands-on boss, acting as proofreader as well as overseeing the general running of the Courant.
A former pupil of St Bees School in Cumbria, Mr Plummer trained as a teacher, and spent some time working at a school in Dorset before returning to the family business in 1959.
The paper continued to be owned, printed and published in Hexham until 1977, when Mr Plummer sold it to another family business, the Carlisle-based Cumbrian Newspapers group, but as part of the deal, he remained in charge at Hexham until his retirement in 1990.
During his time as chairman and chief executive, the newspaper was the subject of a Tyne Tees TV documentary broadcast as part of the ITV About Britain series in March 1976.
He continued to take a keen interest in the paper while living in retirement with his wife Caroline at Thorngrafton, near Bardon Mill, and the pair recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Mr Plummer was a keen Rotarian and was a member of Hexham Rotary Club for many years.
Former Courant deputy editor, Brian Tilley, said: “Mr Plummer was a boss of the old school, who was always addressed by office and print staff as 'Mr Lynne'. It was a title bestowed on him to distinguish him from his father Benny when they worked together at the Courant office, but it continued long after Benny retired.
“He was hugely popular with editorial, case room and office staff, where his dry wit and wry sense of humour always went down well. He was kind and courteous to all staff, particularly the front office girls who used to make him his daily Marmite sandwich.
“He was very much a hands-on boss, who as well as running the business acted as a meticulous proofreader back in the hot metal days, and very few printing errors escaped his eagle eye.
“He was very jealous of the reputation of the Courant, and if a story he was proof-reading contained something he felt was out of keeping or damaging to that reputation, he would draw it to the attention of the editor.
“That being said, he never insisted an offending item should be removed, as he valued editorial independence too much.
“He was an invaluable source of information to the editorial staff, particularly through his encyclopaedic knowledge of Tynedale families and businesses.
“The whole of Tynedale is a poorer place for his passing."
He died on June 1.
While there will be no funeral at Mr Plummer’s request, a celebration of his life will take place at Langley Castle on September 14.
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