77 years a union member
ONE OF THE union’s longest-serving members has died at the age of 96. Noel Richley was born in Lancashire where his father was a church minister and started on the Bury Times, later working as a reporter on the Daily Mirror and Daily Herald in Manchester.
After war service in the navy he rejoined the Herald before moving to PA in London in 1947. Noel became defence correspondent and then chief news editor until his retirement in 1975. He was the PA chapel’s welfare officer for many years and became an NUJ Life Member on retirement.
As well as his 77 years in the NUJ — believed to be a record — he worked with the Newspaper Press Fund — now the Journalists’ Charity — and was its treasurer until the age of 94. He was made an MBE for his services to the fund.
Noel’s wife Sue was a journalist before they married and so are two of his children and one grandchild: daughter Samantha worked in newspapers and radio, and son Rob runs a corporate communications business after a career in newspapers. Granddaughter Emma Mason has her own PR business too.
Rob Richley