Dover Express Memories man Bob Hollingsbee has celebrated 50 years with the newspaper.
He joined the then independentlyowned Dover Express on 28 December 1954 and has worked for the same paper ever since.
During
the final 12 years of his working life, as a sub-editor on the
Folkestone Herald, he continued compiling the Express’s historical and
nostalgia page.
Hollingsbee started as a junior reporter and was
given local government meetings to cover because of his shorthand
skills. His speed on the typewriter was also said to be legendary.
Related
This
led to his promotion to the subeditors’ desk where his wide knowledge
in many spheres, not least the spelling of species of flowers, saved
many reporters from howlers.
His father Edward was the newspaper’s chief sub-editor before him.
Dover-born
Hollingsbee has built up a massive collection of old photographs and
slides of Dover and East Kent and is the author of a series of
photographic books about his home town.
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According to colleagues, few people can match his depth of knowledge about Dover’s history.
He
is often approached by other authors for information to be used in
their books, and has helped scores of readers to find out more about
the family histories by providing them with historic prints.
Although retired, he continues to write the paper’s popular weekly nostalgia column.
The picture shows Hollingsbee with editor Simon Finlay, news editor Jenni Potter and reporters Amy Woodland and Julia Taylor
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