Chichester mourns a true gentleman and a genuine giant of journalism

SussexWorld

West Sussex is mourning a true gentleman and giant of journalism with the passing of long-serving Chichester Observer editor Graham Brooks at the age of 95.

Transcript

00:00Good morning, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Now, a real

00:06privilege this morning to speak to Nigel Brooks about your dad, Graham, who I knew for 33 years,

00:1235 years. He's your dad, and sadly, he passed away at the weekend. But also, you say joyfully,

00:19he had such a dignified, respected life that there was a release, wasn't there,

00:24the end of his suffering? Yes, yes, very much so. Yes, he'd been at the end stage of life

00:31with Parkinson's disease. And last weekend, he took a turn for the worse and the wonderful

00:39caring team and the medical people that had supported him, so he was able to see out his

00:44day at home, really came along and just said, we think in our experience that he ought not to have

00:53any more medication or food or liquids through fear of choking, because that's one of the

00:59diagnoses. And his passing, as you say, was incredibly peaceful, which is absolutely what

01:05he deserved, because so many people are saying, aren't they, in the immediate aftermath,

01:08Graham was the ultimate gentleman, wasn't he? Tell me more. How do you see it?

01:14Well, I could give a different story, couldn't I? Because, you know, I was his son, he was my dad,

01:20and behind the scenes, he wasn't like that at all. That is not the truth at all. If I could sum up my

01:26father, he was one of my best friends. He often used to refer to me as, you're my best friend.

01:33And we had such a fantastic relationship. My mother, my sister and me, we had to share dad with

01:40so many people. But he was such a gentleman. He always had time for people. He encouraged

01:48all of us to... That was key, the encouragement, wasn't it?

01:52Real encouragement in a quiet, but directed way. I remember when I was 15, 16, I was playing

02:00hockey for Sussex, schoolboys. And I know how busy his job was. But even that early age, he was

02:07driving me on Sunday to all parts of the south of England and Midlands and all sorts. And he never

02:14once said, look, we've got to get back. I've got work in the morning. He would just say, look, you

02:19know, you're doing really well. I'll encourage you. And that was the mark of his life all the way

02:24through. You know, more latterly, I managed to qualify to cycle for Great Britain in 2017.

02:34And, and mum and dad, typically, they said, well, that's a fantastic achievement at the

02:41age of 55, or whatever it was. Maybe we could help. And I said, well, actually, a better bike

02:48might help. And of course, that's exactly what they did. They encouraged me. And they said they

02:55didn't say, here's an open checkbook, go and spend silly money. I managed to get a really good bike

03:00from a local shop. Every time I ride it, I think I wouldn't have this had it not been for his

03:07encouragement. Even, you know, as I got older, and he definitely did, you know,

03:11I guess the other thing that that fairness, that decency, that generosity, that kindness,

03:15absolutely in the family life, but so much the hallmarks of his professional life, he was the

03:22highest possible ideals of journalism, wasn't it?

03:24Yes, definitely. I remember I was, I was probably 14 or something like that. I went to visit him

03:31at the news centre where he was working at head office. And I'd always had this imaginary

03:37image of my dad, from probably from the black and white films, where you'd see this chap in a

03:43darkened room, and he'd wear a visor over his, all the lights, and there'd be a bank of about 10

03:49telephones. And they'd be going constantly, yes, get that story. Yes, do it now. And it would be like

03:54this. So that was my imaginary image of my dad. I was so disappointed when I arrived, because his

04:04desk was completely clear, except for a couple of bits of paper. And there was only one telephone.

04:10He was on it constantly. He treated each person with the same dignity. And his lovely expression,

04:17you'd pick up the phone, go, Brooke speaking. And it was never, Brooke speaking, what do you want?

04:24I'm really busy. You know, go away.

04:26And that's the achievement, in a really hastily job, to remain so gentlemanly. I have to say,

04:32he's the only person who's ever given me a full-time job. So I will always be incredibly

04:36grateful to him. Plus the fact, my dad knew your dad for about 50 years.

04:41He is.

04:42Ah, such gentlemen together, weren't they?

04:44Yes, definitely. Definitely.

04:47So as you say, there's sadness, of course there is, but there's a joy at a life that

04:52was full and was incredibly well lived, isn't there?

04:56Absolutely. Absolutely. Right, right to the very, you know, literally the last six months.

05:01I remember probably about nine months ago, when we were able still to get dad into the car.

05:08I went to Kingly Vale car park, because a friend of mine has a lovely coffee van there, and his mother

05:15used to cut dad's hair. And so we met up, and dad did about, I'm going to say 150 steps up the path

05:24from the Kingly Vale car park, rather dodderily, but I held his arm, and we walked back, and we had a

05:31lovely time. We did it a couple of times. And it's, as people, particularly with Parkinson's, as they get

05:37more and less, they get more and more infirmed, you never know when the last time will be.

05:42And even now, Mike will often ask, the first thing he will say is, I haven't been to see him since he

05:49died, but how's your dad?

05:50Absolutely.

05:51How's your dad?

05:52Nigel, do you know the funeral arrangements yet?

05:54The funeral arrangements at the moment, we are probably going to have a private funeral,

06:01where we're going to invite, you know, because mum quite rightly said, she's quite a private person.

06:09And she said, Nigel said, I'm not sure, I want lots of people, so I'm not sure I can do those

06:16conversations.

06:17And then think about a memorial, presumably.

06:19Perhaps, yes. I spoke to somebody yesterday, and they said, do you know, Nigel, dad was

06:28quite a man, perhaps you should do two. And I said, well, we'll see.

06:34Fantastic. Well, Nigel, condolences, but also, I'd say, I feel an immense privilege at having

06:40known your dad. He was a simply, simply lovely man. Thank you.

06:44Thank you very much. Thank you.

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