East of England's 64-year-old news agency closes (2024)

East of England's 64-year-old news agency closes (1)Image source, Getty Images

Brian Farmer

BBC News, East of England

  • Published

A name familiar to journalists for more than 60 years has slipped into the annals of history.

Luton-based South Bedfordshire News Agency, better known as Fairley's, has closed down after its proprietor and final writer Tim Corkett retired.

Since 1960, it has sold reports and photographs to newspapers, television, radio stations and websites across the East of England and beyond.

Mr Corkett said the arrival of the internet, a decline in newspaper sales and a growth in the public relations industry had made life increasingly hard for organisations like his.

Image source, Fairley's

As one of the UK's independent, freelance news agencies, many members of the public may never have heard of the name Fairley's, but millions have seen its reports and photos.

The agency was set up by journalist David Pryke in 1960, the year a rock group from Liverpool adopted the name The Beatles and six years before England's footballers won the World Cup.

Harold Macmillan was Britain's prime minister, President Eisenhower was in power in the United States and Luton Town had recently been beaten 2-1 by Nottingham Forest in the 1959 FA Cup Final.

Any worries Mr Pryke had about there not being enough news in and around Luton must have been quickly extinguished.

By the end of 1963, two of the most notorious crimes of the 20th Century had been committed in the agency's patch.

In April 1962, James Hanratty became one of the last Britons to be hanged after being convicted of the A6 murder at Clophill, Bedfordshire.

And the Great Train Robbery, external was staged near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire in August 1963.

Image source, Fairley's

Mr Corkett, 64, said Barry Simmons and Ron Fairley, whose surname gave the agency its popular name, later moved in.

In more recent times Mr Corkett, reporter Ross Francis and photographer John O'Reilly have been at the helm.

Mr Francis, 71, retired in 2021 and Mr O'Reilly, 72, followed earlier this year.

Initially the agency covered Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire but its patch widened over the years and journalists covered stories in Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Essex, London and, occasionally, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Fairley's began in an age of black-and-white photos, shorthand, typewriters and reporters making calls from public telephone boxes.

The agency's base was initially a rented house, with a spare bedroom set aside as the photographer's darkroom.

By the end, television cameras were being allowed into courts, stories were being sent from laptops or mobiles and photographs were being taken on digital cameras.

Image source, Phil Coomes/BBC

Reporters Tim Corkett and Ross Francis explained how they used to dictate their stories to newspaper copy-takers from public telephone boxes.

"The copy-taker would sometimes yawn if you were going on too long," said Mr Corkett.

Mr Francis said members of the public sometimes lacked patience: "People would sometimes be outside the phone box banging on the glass asking how long you were going to be."

Photographer John O'Reilly said he used to print photographs in a darkroom then hand them to a motorcycle rider who dispatched them to newspapers in London.

He recalled seeing photographers using digital cameras for the first time when covering a memorial service for film director Stanley Kubrick in St Albans in 1999.

Image source, Fairley's

But news agencies have come under increasing pressure in recent years.

"Unfortunately there was just me and a secretary who have been keeping things going recently," said Mr Corkett, who joined Fairley's in 1983.

"In the heyday, there were probably eight or nine people working.

"It's a sign of the times in the media, I'm afraid."

"Social media has taken over. People are not really prepared to pay for their news any more."

Court reporting had become "increasingly uneconomic", he added.

"Media organisations are getting their copy free from public bodies, particularly the police.

"They put together a press release that the media are happy to take free of charge."

Image source, Brian Farmer/BBC

Mr Corkett said he worried that information was now too freely and easily available online, that journalists were "thin on the ground" and public bodies were not being held to account.

"I think it is important to have independent media that scrutinises things, scrutinises public bodies," he said.

"The danger is now that there are no reporters on the ground."

Major stories covered by Fairley's

Image source, PA Media

  • 1961 - The A6 killing: Scientist Michael Gregsten was shot dead in a lay-by at Deadman's Hill, on the A6 near Bedford. James Hanratty, 25, was convicted of murder and was one the last people to be hanged before the abolition of capital punishment.

  • 1963 - The Great Train Robbery, external: A night mail train from Glasgow Central to London Euston was stopped by a gang, who escaped with £2.6m. Fifteen men were convicted of being involved.

  • 1984 - The Fox: Malcolm Fairley carried out sex attacks in 1984 across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, sparking one of the largest manhunts in British criminal history. Fairley, dubbed The Fox, was jailed in 1985 and died in prison in 2024.

  • 2005 - The Buncefield Fire: An explosion at the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead in 2005 was the largest in Europe during peacetime. A fire raged for days. No-one was killed or seriously injured but damage was severe.

  • 2024 - Morgan murder trial: Allen Morgan was jailed at Luton Crown Court after being found guilty of conspiring to murder former wife Carol in 1981.

He said the arrival of television cameras in the courtroom to film the sentencing of serious criminals, and online links to hearings, had also made life hard for news agencies.

"I sat there recently at the Allen Morgan sentencing and I am looking at a television camera that is filming the judge's comments.

"That tape is sent off to the media and it made me realise, there is no role for me here now.

"That case brought it home."

He added: "If television is going to come into court, I think the days of the old hack licking his pencil and scribbling away furiously in shorthand are probably gone."

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East of England's 64-year-old news agency closes (2024)

FAQs

East of England's 64-year-old news agency closes? ›

'Sign of the times' as 64-year-old news agency closes. A name familiar to journalists for more than 60 years has slipped into the annals of history. Luton-based South Bedfordshire News Agency, better known as Fairley's, has closed down after its proprietor and final writer Tim Corkett retired.

What is the famous news agency of the UK? ›

The main national UK news agency is the Press Association (PA). PA is owned by a private company, the PA Group, which has 26 shareholders, most of whom are the UK's major national and regional newspaper publishers. PA was established in London in 1868 as a news gatherer for local and regional newspapers.

What is the oldest news organization? ›

The French Agence France-Press (AFP) is the oldest news agency in the world. It was started 1835 in Paris as Agence Havas and one of its early employees was a certain Paul Reuter.

What year did news of the world close? ›

It was announced on 7 July 2011 that, after 168 years in print, the newspaper would print its final edition on 10 July 2011 following revelations of the ongoing phone hacking scandal, with the loss of 200 jobs.

What is the most famous news agency in the world? ›

Some Facts About The News Agencies

The three most influential news agencies globally are the Agence France Press (AFP), Reuters, and the Associated Press. These agencies have the funds and resources to deploy reporters and other officials to different parts of the world for gathering information.

What is the world famous news agency based in London? ›

Reuters is one of the largest and most trusted news agencies in the world. The agency was established in London in 1851 by the German-born Paul Reuter.

What is the name of the most famous newspaper in the UK? ›

Today, the UK's most highly circulating paper is the free sheet Metro whilst other popular titles include tabloids such as The Sun and Daily Mirror, middle market papers such as the Daily Mail and Daily Express and broadsheet newspapers such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times and The Guardian.

What is the oldest news network? ›

The oldest broadcasting network in the United States, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) came into being on November 15, 1926, with a gala four-hour radio program originating from the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

What is the oldest news outlet? ›

Founded prior to American independence, on October 29, 1764

Since newspapers are the oldest form of media, this makes The Hartford Courant the oldest media outlet of any kind in America. The Hartford Courant is recognized as the country's oldest newspaper in continuous publication by Connecticut Humanities.

What was the name of the first all news network? ›

Upon its launch, CNN became the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and was the first all-news television network in the United States.

What is the British journalist scandal? ›

A British Brouhaha. The phone-hacking scandal began with revelations that tabloid journalists in Britain had hacked into the phones of celebrities, sports stars and politicians, among others, to get scoops. The fallout was tremendous, with a yearlong public inquiry and allegations in criminal and civil courts.

What was the scandal that closed the news of the world? ›

2005–2006: Royal phone hacking scandal

On 14 November 2005, the News of the World published an article written by royal editor Clive Goodman that claimed Prince William was in the process of borrowing a portable editing suite from ITV correspondent Tom Bradby.

What was Rupert Murdoch accused of? ›

For the first time, media titan Rupert Murdoch was accused in court of personally knowing about phone hacking and other illegal acts by his British tabloids stretching back nearly two decades, far earlier than he admitted, and giving "knowingly false" evidence under oath in an official inquiry.

What is the name of the news agency in the UK? ›

Established in 1851, Reuters is a British news agency in the UK. It is owned by the Thomson Reuters corporation and provides news to media outlets, businesses, and other organizations. Reuters has won several awards for its journalism, including 30 Pulitzer Prizes.

What is the oldest news agency in the United States? ›

Associated Press (AP), cooperative 24-hour news agency (wire service), the oldest and largest of those in the United States and long the largest and one of the preeminent news agencies in the world. Headquarters are in New York, N.Y.

What is the biggest news source in the UK? ›

The United Kingdom has a diverse range of providers, the most prominent being the publicly owned and funded British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

What is the biggest UK acting agency? ›

Top 10 Talent Management Agencies in the UK – 2024 Update
  • Kruger Cowne. At the top of our list of talent agencies in London for 2024 is Kruger Cowne. ...
  • United Agents. ...
  • Curtis Brown. ...
  • Independent Talent Group. ...
  • Hamilton Hodell. ...
  • Conway van Gelder Grant. ...
  • The Artists Partnership. ...
  • Tavistock Wood.
Jun 16, 2024

What is the largest news channel in the UK? ›

The leading TV news channel in the United Kingdom remains BBC One, with 71 percent of respondents to a survey saying they used it for news. ITV1 ranked second (including ITV Wales, STV, and UTV), whereas Channel 5 and BBC Two were less popular.

Is the daily mirror left or right? ›

Political allegiance. The Mirror has consistently supported the Labour Party since the 1945 UK general election. On the day of the 1979 UK general election, the Daily Mirror urged its readers to vote for the governing Labour Party led by James Callaghan.

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