George Tuckfield, former Henley Standard editor

A FORMER editor of the Henley Standard has died, aged 79.

George Tuckfield, who edited the paper from September 1990 to September 2008, passed away on December 18.  

He was born and raised in Stogumber, a tiny village in Somerset, and knew that he wanted to be a journalist from the age of 14.

He took a two-year journalism course at Taunton College with the hope of becoming a sports reporter but his ambition had to be put on hold when the local paper didn’t have a vacancy.

Instead George worked in a builder’s office for a while and then in the weights and measures department at Somerset County Council.

His heart was still set on working for a newspaper and his chance came when the news editor of the West Somerset Free Press offered him a position as a junior reporter.

Mr Tuckfield, who was then 19, described the paper as the “bible” of local news and affairs, which he had been brought up on. He spent three years there as an apprentice, which included travelling round the parishes by bicycle.

With the prospects of promotion being limited, he moved to Maidenhead in 1970 to join the Berkshire Mercury as a district reporter. He was accompanied by his wife Sue and their two children, Sean and Tracey.

In 1976 Mr Tuckfield launched the Woodley edition of the Reading Chronicle and two years later became the paper’s news editor.

Three years later he was appointed editor of the Bracknell News, where he spent seven years.

He returned to the Reading office and became group editor in 1988 before being appointed editor of the Henley Standard.

Mr Tuckfield arrived at a time when reporters took and developed their own photographs and was at the helm when newsgathering and newspaper production moved into the digital age.

Upon his retirement, he said: “I have always been thankful that in this day of multinationals owning newspapers, the Henley Standard has remained family-owned.

“I am also very appreciative of the paper’s owners and management, who have allowed me to run their paper my way. I have had a terrific career and am retiring with mixed feelings. I will certainly miss the general buzz of the newspaper office and all my colleagues.”

In retirement, Mr Tuckfield and his wife moved back to Stogumber where he had discovered his love of cricket at age 11 when he played for his school’s first XI alongside
16-year-olds.

He had been a member of North Maidenhead Cricket Club for more than 30 years and was first team captain for 12 years and club chairman for 18 years.

He was also the club’s president and at the time of his retirement at age 65 was still playing about 10 games a season.

Mr Tuckfield is survived by his wife, children and five grandchildren. His funeral will take place at St Mary’s Church in Stogumber, on Tuesday at 12.30pm.

Family flowers only. Donations in his memory can be made to Cancer Research UK and St Margaret’s Hospice c/o Hedley Price funeral directors, Mart Road, Minehead, TA24 5BJ Tel. 01643 703111.