Tributes paid to former Peterborough Telegraph journalist who has died aged 85

Newsman once received an inscribed truncheon from police

Tributes have been paid to a former Peterborough Evening Telegraph journalist who has died at the age of 85.

Patrick Beasley joined the Evening Telegraph during the 60s as an assistant editor and was renown for his abilities to ‘find a story’.

At his retirement in 1997, he was even presented with a plaque-mounted police truncheon inscribed with ‘Best Wishes on Your Retirement’ from Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1997 in tribute to the quality of their relationship with Mr Beasley.

Mr Beasley began his career as a ‘cub reporter’ on EMAP’s Peterborough Advertiser in 1954 and after the Evening Telegraph went on to be editor of the Angling Times and Auto News.

Later as a freelance journalist he worked for the BBC contributing to ‘Round About East Anglia with his ‘patch’ covering Northamptonshire, north Cambridgeshire, south Lincolnshire and Bedfordshire.

Mr Beasley also worked for Hereward Radio and was a renown TV interviewer for Look East and About Anglia and sold many of his stories to the Daily Mirror.

Highlights of his career included interviews with Government ministers, a seemingly ‘out of the blue’ telephone call from the Duke of Bedford and a three week tour of China.

During his spare time, Mr Beasley would also put together the staff newspapers for Peterborough businesses such as the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society and Boots.

He was born in March, Cambridgeshire on September 28, 1937 and moved to Peterborough when he was 16.

His daughter, Nicole, said: “After dad retired he went to live in his beloved Spain. He loved the heat and enjoyed water skiing and kept a boat out there.”

PT photographer David Lowndes said: “Patrick was regarded as the top freelance journalist in the city during the 60s. He knew everybody. People in the industry would have given everything to get hold of his contacts book.”

Mr Beasley passed away on May 31 at the Glennfields Nursing Home, in Wisbech, having battled with Alzheimer's and dementia for three years.

He leaves a daughter Nicole, step-son Craig and three grandchildren and three great grandchildren.