Tributes as long-serving journalist dies aged 82

Tributes have been paid to long-serving journalist Adam Trimingham who died on Saturday (11 January) at the age of 82.

He came to Brighton from London in the 1960s, having started out at the Kensington News. He joined the Brighton and Hove Herald but spent most of his career and made his name at the Argus.

He joined the paper in the 1970s – and met his wife Sue there. He retired from reporting in 2004 although he continued to write his popular column until just shy of his 80th birthday.

It was known as Just Trimingham when it began but was later renamed The Sage of Sussex. When he stopped writing it after 45 years, it was believed to the longest-running column by a single journalist.

On his retirement from reporting, he was the subject of a parliamentary motion, put down by former Brighton Borough Council leader David Lepper, who was by then the Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion.

MPs across Sussex – and others – signed in support of a motion that said the House of Commons “congratulates Adam Trimingham (on) a career marked by the highest standards of professional integrity … and wishes The Sage of Sussex a long, happy and prosperous retirement”.

Mr Lepper said that he combined the ability to be controversial and thought-provoking but with respect for the people, places and events that he wrote about.

On retiring, he also became the first honorary freeman of the City of Brighton and Hove and even had a bus named after him.

It was a rare honour, usually reserved for those no longer living but who had made a significant contribution to life in the area.

He was more likely to be spotted on his bike, though, rather than a bus – and his love of cycling found its way into many of his columns over the years. As did his love of sea swimming and his passion for his allotment.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was in a column in praise of the NHS that he mentioned in passing that he had Parkinson’s disease – and for 17 years he managed his symptoms to stay as active as possible.

He was a long-time member of the West Pier Trust, and ended up on the board, and generously gave his time, knowledge and support not just to the trust but to many other local individuals, organisations and causes.

He is survived by his wife Sue, his four daughters – Carina, Marita, Rae and Elly – and his seven grandchildren.

Here are some of the tributes to Adam Trimingham, the Sage of Sussex.

The former Brighton and Hove council leader Steve Bassam, now Lord Bassam of Brighton, said: “The sad passing of Adam Trimingham … reflects the passing of an era.”

Lord Bassam, a Labour peer and former government minister, said: “Adam was a fine journalist and a fine person.

“As a journalist, he had integrity. What I particularly liked about my relationship with Adam was the trust we established with each other.

“I learnt that you could give Adam background and context without being misquoted. And if you provided Adam with background and context, he respected the fact and would only quote what was said on the record. As a result, we became firm friends.

“Adam was widely respected by politicians from all parties. He was fair in reflecting events and expressed political opinions. He helped to make individual reputations and knock them down too with fair comment.”

During the Liberal Democrats party conference in Brighton in 2007, his column was credited with helping to bring to end the leadership of Menzies Campbell, paving the way for Nick Clegg.

Lord Bassam added: “His ‘Sage of Sussex’ moniker was an accurate description of his journalistic role within the Argus. He probably was the last of a kind.

“He was a writer of integrity, he had a sense of humour about local public life and he wasn’t afraid to give advice when he thought it would help get an important message across.

“He helped me as a budding Labour figure to put over my views. He gave, from time to time, sage advice and helped me hone my comments into something comprehensible and that the wider public could understand.

“Politicians too often retreat to jargon and a language of cliches. Adam rightly detested both.

“On a personal level, Adam became a firm friend and someone I learned to trust and like. He was always a good person to bounce ideas off. He made interesting and sometimes challenging conversation, but always in a courteous and thoughtful way.

“The city council rightly thanked Adam and paid tribute to his work a few years ago and I was honoured to be there.

“We should also be grateful for the role he played in helping Brighton and Hove achieve city status something he thought capped it becoming ‘the place to be’.

“Adam thank you for years of public service. You were a fine journalist and a fine person – one we politicians will forever be grateful to.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to your family, especially the wonderful Sue, who I know will have been dreading this day, but who can take great pride in your many achievements.”

“Adam ‘the sage of Sussex’ will be widely missed – we are unlikely to see his like again. RIP Mr Trimingham.”

West Pier Trust chief executive Rachel Clark said: “He was a very valued member of the board for many years. He had a unique take on any situation we were discussing.

“He was idiosyncratic and didn’t necessarily follow the crowd but he was very helpful and, personally, he was very kind man. He will be terribly missed.”

The former Brighton Borough Council leader and Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion, David Lepper, and his wife Jeane Lepper, a fellow former councillor, also paid tribute.

Mr Lepper said: “Jeane and I feel great sadness at his death and send our condolences to his family.

“He represented something in journalism that was quite exceptional – and certainly exceptional these days.

“To both of us, through our political careers, we found him to be fair and accurate in his reporting. And the depth of his knowledge of the area and its politics and people is irreplaceable.

“He had a fairness and a desire to get the story but he never distorted the views of those he was reporting on. He represented the highest standards of journalism.”

Mr Lepper praised the clarity of his writing and added: “He loved the area. He was always looking at things that showed the best of Brighton and Hove and the best of Sussex without papering over the blemishes.

“It’s a great loss. Journalists starting out now would do well to look at his example and what can be achieved in working for a local paper.”

At many council meetings, he said, Adam seemed to be doing other things – such as reading one of the many books that he reviewed.

But, Mr Lepper said: “When you saw the report, he got every point and every side of the argument down.”

He remembered Mr Trimingham’s support for ABBA – the Anti Brighton Bypass Association – and its ultimately unsuccessful campaign.

Mr Lepper said: “His had own very strong views on that but nevertheless he got the story right and made sure the different views were reported fairly and accurately.”

Another former Labour councillor, Andy Winter, who went on to become the chief executive of the housing and homelessness charity BHT Sussex, now writes the Wednesday column previously written by Adam Trimingham.

He said: “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.

“Adam Trimingham was also, 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.

“Adam had an amazing ability to multi-task. He used to sit through council 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 without looking up from the page he was reading.

“The next day he would faithfully and accurately report what had been said.

“I would never be so presumptuous to think that I could ever be the new Adam Trimingham although, like Adam, I am a cyclist. I also share his 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.

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

“Certainly, sage advice.”

Former Argus crime reporter Phil Mills said: “Adam was more than a brilliant, accurate and fair journalist, he was a kind man who made time for everyone, no matter what their walk of life or political persuasion. His integrity always came first, no matter which politician he engaged with.

“I’ve chatted with former colleagues since the sad news broke and we all have such fond memories of working with Adam.

“He had a great sense of humour and was renowned for instigating theme weeks in the office, including silly sock and silly tie weeks. And he would join in a game of cricket in the office on slow news days.

“All of us will miss him – and so too will the city and Sussex, the places he loved.”

Councillor Peter Atkinson, an Independent member of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “Adam was an incredibly considerate person. Always polite and always caring. He was very balanced in his viewpoint and never showed favouritism.

“I admired that immensely. He would call out inconsistency and criticise bigotry and if he thought something was wrong or misguided, he would say so.

“But he would also offer praise and encouragement when he felt it warranted.

“He had a great love of local history and his journalism was never less than engaging and often very funny.”

Conservative councillor Anne Meadows, a long-serving member of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “I was very sorry to hear the news. He was very kind to me when I tried to put out my first press releases.”

She praised his long service to the city and his capacity to comment on so many areas and aspects of public and civic life.

Cycling UK Brighton and Hove chair Becky Reynolds said: “I’m very sorry to hear that Adam has died.

“He was a great ambassador for cycling and was able to spread a positive message about the enjoyment and benefits of cycling in his many newspaper articles.

“He was a genuine and approachable person who will be sadly missed.”

The first chief executive of Brighton and Hove Council, Glynn Jones, said: “I first met Adam in 1989 when he approached me following my appointment as chief executive of the then Brighton Borough Council.

“Unlike many of the journalists I had met when working in London, I knew instantly he was a true professional in the best sense of the word and totally trustworthy.

“He was not only interested in reporting the facts but also presenting stories or breaking news in an intelligent and interesting way. He was never interested in fake or exaggerated news. He only reported the truth.

“He loved Brighton and Hove and was a mine of information and always talked up the area but could also be critical where he saw that was needed.

“He worked with me on the West Pier Trust and was so helpful. He had a deep understanding and love of the area and was always an amazing source of information and made an enormous contribution to public life but in his own quiet, gentle way.

“Even when he became painfully ill, he was always positive and, amazingly, still rode his beloved bike. He will be greatly missed.”