Informed 12


News Update


Bob Norris: one of the NUJ’s legends


It was at the last NEC meeting that Michelle Stanistreet broke the sad news of the death of Bob Norris, the union’s former assistant general secretary and member of honour who had died the previous evening, aged 78.


She then led the tributes to Bob, who she described as “one of our NUJ legends who, throughout his life-long membership, played an enormous role both as an activist and as an official during his service as assistant general secretary of the NUJ”. Bob served the NUJ at all levels of the union. In 1965, aged 25, he became the union’s youngest NEC member and later went on to work as a full-time industrial official in a range of sectors, particularly books. Te union’s book branch was quick to pass a motion reading: “All book branch activists liked him immensely and found him great company at meetings and conferences, as well as down the pub aſterwards.” Te pub. It was a word that cropped up in many of the hundreds of tributes that flooded into the union – perhaps no surprise given Bob was also a commited activist in the Campaign for Real Ale. He was praised as a “journalist of rare


NUJ marriage: Pauline and Bob Norris


passion and vision”, for his “wise advice on difficult maters involving NUJ rules and disciplinary complaints” and for the many personal cases he resolved, but it was his sense of humour and fun that shone through all the reminiscences, particularly at the pub or the bar at DM. “A lovely man who always made delegate meetings less boring and made a massive contribution to the union,” said former deputy general secretary of the NUJ, Charlie Harkness At a celebration of his life at the Calthorpe Arms in Gray’s Inn Road, where jugs of real ale were shared, there was an open mic and the order: “No long


speeches; one anecdote per person please”. It was notable how many of these anecdotes referred to his love of beer, banter and good company. Bob was passionate about education and training and believed education was vital for the promotion of journalistic diversity. He served on the board of the National Council for the Training of Journalists for 39 years, stepping down in November 2006. He supported the Writers in Prison initiative and was a relentless campaigner for media freedom. Bob’s wife, Pauline, also an NUJ member of honour, is well-known for her pivotal role as chair of the standing orders commitee, but as a couple they were the leading lights at the cabaret during DM. “Teirs was an NUJ marriage and so many of us enjoyed their friendship as part of a wide and colourful extended clan,” said NUJ assistant secretary Séamus Dooley. Michelle told the NEC of Bob’s final contribution to the union he was so commited to – in an act of wonderful generosity he had leſt a legacy of £10,000 to the George Viner Memorial Fund which provides bursaries to black and Asian journalism students to help finance their studies, and marks Bob’s commitment to both training and diversity in journalism. Bob’s legacy will be marked at the


next annual celebration of the George Viner Fund.


Bread and Roses chapel bar


Te NUJ has a new partnership with the Workers Beer Company, one of the main operators of festival bars in the UK and Ireland, owned by Batersea and Wandsworth Trade Union Council. Te bar is on


the ground floor of the NUJ’s London HQ and will have a range of pop-up kitchens providing food. Te Chapel


Playhouse, in the basement, will be London’s newest fringe theatre. A full programme of events includes comedy, cabaret and quiz nights. Tere is a discount for NUJ members on drink, food and tickets. Find out more and how to book your tickets at htps://www.thechapelkingscross. co.uk/


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