ONE of the region’s most respected journalists who ditched school to embark on a 50-year career in newspapers has retired.

Bob Summerhayes, the County Gazette’s longest-serving member of staff, logged off for the final time this week.

Bob has seen enormous changes in the industry since quitting his A level studies to start work at the Gazette on December 28, 1969.

He originally worked as a compositor after signing a five-year apprenticeship, composing type and learning how to operate the machines in the days of hot metal.

Ironically, he attended art college in Billet Street for ten weeks a year - on the site of the former Huish Grammar School, where he had walked out after one term in the sixth form.

“I’d got bored of A levels,” said Bob, originally from Curry Mallet. “My father saw a job advert in the Gazette and said, ‘That’s a job for life’, and that’s how it’s turned out.”

After a while in the job, new technology, Intertype, was introduced and everyone was marvelling at its speed.

During that period, Bob served as a union rep and went on protests to Warrington and Wapping in the early 1980s, after which the unions’ powers were cut back.

When newspaper production was computerised, he negotiated with bosses as 75 of the 100 publishing press compositors were made redundant.

“That was a sad time,” said Bob, who had spent three years working nights.

“It was my worst time at work. The editor, Ken Burge, said to me, ‘Why don’t you give reporting a try?’

“He arranged for me to retrain as a journalist.”

Bob was a reporter for nine years before turning to sub-editing sport and news for the Bridport News and the Chard and Ilminster News. After that, a new County Gazette editor, Jon Hancock, took Bob on as a news sub.

In recent times, Bob, a talented local footballer and cricketer in his younger days, worked on the sports sections of the company’s newspapers.

At the end of his last shift, he said: “I’ve had a fantastic career, met some fantastic people and been privy to the lives of so many people who have allowed me into their homes and told me their stories, even though I’m, essentially, a stranger.

“Consequently, I’ve never been bored. It’s been a privilege and a responsibility.”

Bob added: “It’s been an absolute treat working with the present generation of sports reporters, Richard (Browne) and Paul (Martin), who promote local sport and have improved the sports offering to be the best it’s ever been.”

Bob, who plans to dedicate more time to gardening during his retirement, met his ex-wife Judy at the Gazette, when she worked in admin.

He has two children - Cara, a journalist who broke the story of former Prime Minister John Major’s affair with Edwina Currie, and Darren, who lives and works in Taunton - and five grandchildren.