Stepping into the Shoes of a Legend

(This column was first published in the Brighton Argus on 13th April 2022)

It is hard to praise the writing of Adam Trimingham more highly, whether he entertained and amused, or whether he infuriated his readers with his views. But a week ago his regular column in the pages of The Argus came to an end.  It had been the longest-running newspaper column in the country. So ends an era of journalism and writing, one that will never be repeated.

Sussex is very fortunate to have The Argus although it is popular, in certain circles, to dismiss it.  Some say, almost as a virtue, that they never read it. I have heard some politicians say that they actively avoid it, claiming that they do not get a fair hearing. How foolish. How arrogant.

A local newspaper is the cornerstone of democracy. Yes, politicians will not like everything reported, not least those in positions of leadership within a local authority. That is one of the purposes of local papers. They shine a light where some would rather it was not shone.

Of course newspapers will get it wrong from time to time. On occasions they have had journalists who get up the noses of politicians. C’est la vie. 

Most journalists on local papers are fair and impartial. Adam Trimingham was, for decades, a principled and objective reporter.  He has been a journalist of great decency and honour, recognising that long-term relationships are more important than a one-off, headline grabbing story.

Once, when I was an elected councillor in the 1980s, I was approached by Adam to say that a potentially damaging allegation had been made against me by a senior politician. Shaken, I asked him if I could have a few minutes to think through how to respond. He said that there was no need for a response. When I asked why not, he said: “Because it’s not true. I’m not running the story. I just thought you would want to know what was being said.”

Adam had an amazing ability to multi-task. He used to sit through committee meetings, reading books for review while his pen was poised over a reporter’s notebook. I was convinced he had zoned out but whenever anyone said something worth reporting, he would start scribbling his shorthand without looking up from the page he was reading. The next day he would faithfully and accurately report what had been said. 

Taking on ‘Adam’s column’ is a daunting prospect. Once before I had to succeed someone who had the status of a legend. Jenny Backwell, my predecessor at BHT Sussex, then known as Brighton Housing Trust, was nationally known, admired and respected. “How will you ever fill her shoes?” I was asked on several occasions. 

As for Adam, dubbed the ‘Sage of Sussex’, there have been some lovely and richly deserved tributes to him in recent days, including letters saying that “Being the longest running column in the country he is going to be very hard to replace” and “I hope the Argus can find a worthy replacement”.

Of course I did not attempt to fill Jenny’s shoes, and I would never be so presumptuous to think that I could ever be the new Adam Trimingham. I am me, and I do things my way. I have opinions and experiences that I will share, and I hope that some will entertain and inform. 

There are things I certainly will never do that Adam did, not least being photographed coming out of the sea wearing just ‘budgie-smugglers’!  Like Adam, I am a cyclist and I will be unashamedly pro-pedestrian and pro-cyclist, inevitably annoying the car lobby along the way. 

I also share a fascination for politics. Many of us have speculated what Adam’s political views are and how he might vote. I think none of us have ever really known. He was always scrupulously fair in his reporting. I have not been a member of any political party for almost 30 years. It is many years since I voted for a political party. I always vote but for the individual, sometimes in spite of their political affiliation.

Sadly the standard of political discourse today is depressingly low, not least in Brighton which has become very conservative in its so-called radicalism. There are certain subjects that can’t even be debated and arguments can’t be had without the risk of no-platforming or being dismissed, in my case for example, as having ‘white male privilege’. If you disagree with me, tell me why. Don’t dismiss my arguments for some dubious, intellectually lazy reason.

Finally, I will draw on Adam’s advice for young reporters, although I am neither a reporter and certainly not young: “Be true to yourself, have a good laugh, and never try to fool people because it won’t work.” Certainly sage advice.