Tributes to former owner of Peterborough-based publisher East Midlands Allied Press

Richard Winfrey outside the offices of EMAP in Peterborough.

The former owner of leading newspaper and magazine publisher EMAP in Peterborough has passed away at the age of 91.

Richard Winfrey was managing director of the family-founded business from about 1962 through to 1996 when he retired.

At its peak, EMAP (East Midlands Allied Press) controlled scores of newspapers, including Peterborough’s Evening Telegraph, and magazines, from the Angling Times to Smash Hits, and employed thousands of people.

Richard Winfrey, back right, watches the newspapers coming of the printing line at the EMAP works at Woodston, Peterborough, in 1962.

Mr Winfrey oversaw a period of remarkable growth, particularly from 1967 to 1977 when the company’s turnover soared from £2.4 million to £14.8 million.

He saw the business, which was founded by his grandfather Sir Richard Winfrey in 1887 with the purchase of the Spalding Guardian, expand from a small operation to a FTSE 100 giant.

Mr Winfrey’s son, Peter, one of four children, said: “My father hugely enjoyed business life and travelled all over the world with his job and even met Queen Elizabeth II on one occasion on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

“He also involved with Reuters and with the Press Association and was on the boards of directors of other newspapers. He was very keen about the freedom of the press throughout the world.

Richard Winfrey with great grandson, Hugo Winfrey

He said: “EMAP introduced off-set press that was ahead of the competition. All the colour printing they did was way ahead of the nationals and people from the national press would come to Peterborough to see how it was done at Woodston.

"EMAP went from being a very small business to a FTSE 100 company and did the printing for many other companies, including some of the national newspapers.”

Peter added: “He achieved a real coup when the business bought an 11 acre site at Woodston for its offices.

"The land was outside the control of the city council and that was beneficial because the local authority was being held to account about things said but not done.

Richard Winfrey, second left, who passed away on May 31.

"It was felt that any attempt to get land that was under council control would be turned down as the company was a thorn in the council’s flesh.

He said: "Some of the difficult times involved disputes with the print unions, which were very powerful at that stage. One year there was a strike and the editor in Kettering kept the paper running by himself for more than 100 days. He was presented with a cake with ‘100 not out’ iced on it.”

Mr Winfrey passed away at Peterborough City Hospital on May 31.

He leaves his wife Jean, who he married on September 6, 1958, and four children Ian, Peter, Sarah and Ben as well as 10 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Richard Winfrey at the helm of his sailing dinghy.

Mr Winfrey was educated at Stamford School and at The Leys School in Cambridge before studying at Cambridge University’s Christs College and later at Harvard.

He carried out his National Service with the Norfolk Regiment in Cyprus.

A keen skier and sailor, he also served as a Justice of the Peace and as a church warden at Stibbington and chairman of the parish council at Stibbington for many decades.

His children say he is remembered as a philanthropist and ‘very much a family man’.

A memorial service will be held on June 20 at Stibbington Church.