Michael Watts (journalist)
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Michael Watts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 18 October 1938 Nottinghamshire |
| Died | 5 March 2018 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Nottingham High School |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1955 – 2018 |
Michael Watts (18 October 1938 – 5 March 2018) was a British journalist and broadcaster best known for his ‘Inspector Watts’ column in the Sunday Express[1] and other publications, which ran for over 35 years. He is not to be confused with another journalist of the same name, who was the US editor of Melody Maker for much of the 1970s.
Journalism career[edit]
Watts, born in Nottinghamshire and educated at Nottingham High School, began in journalism at age 16 as a reporter on the Nottingham Evening News.[2] After four years there, he became London editor of The Viewer television magazine[3] for a year, before joining the Sunday Express [4] in 1960. There, he was variously gossip column editor, deputy news editor, and deputy editor in Manchester, and started the paper's Town Talk diary.
In 1969 he began The World of Michael Watts, a consumer column laced with social comment and humour. This concluded with the Great Corny Joke Contest, offering a cash prize of a "Crisp Oncer" - at £1 "the meanest prize in Fleet Street",[5] and one which became relatively meaner as the years passed. In the 1980s, as the pound coin was replacing the pound note, Watts bought several hundreds of the latter from a bank so that the Crisp Oncer prize could continue. In carrying out investigations and taking up readers' battles with companies and bureaucracy, Michael Watts became known as "Inspector Watts" - and the column continued for 22 years, until he left the Sunday Express.
However, he started the column again in the relaunched London Evening News[6] and, the following year, in Saga magazine.[7] Then in 1989 the Sunday Express asked Watts to bring it back to them, which until 1991 he did.
His column and broadcasts were often commented upon by other publications,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] and in addition to continuing in Saga, the column also ran for five years in the Westminster Review,[18] and from 2002 to 2005 in Active Life magazine[19] (still handing out Crisp Oncers).
Watts freelanced in later life. He died on 5 March 2018.[20]
Broadcasting[edit]
Watts's radio work for BBC Radio 4 included twice-weekly consumer spots on Up To The Hour, and presenting The Weekly World and News Stand.[21] Plus much for LBC.
Awards[edit]
The Michael Watts column twice won the Consumer Writers' Award, in 1978 [22] and 1986.
Published works[edit]
Author of I Say! I Say! Great Britain’s Best Corny Jokes and the Debatable Wit and Wisdom of Michael Watts, published by Sidgwick & Jackson, 1971 (ISBN 0 283 978066).
References[edit]
- ^ Sunday Express, 1969-86; 1989-91
- ^ Nottingham Evening News, 1955-58
- ^ The Viewer, 1959
- ^ Sunday Express, 1960-86; 1989-91
- ^ "Dog Watches Dog". UK Press Gazette. 2 July 1979.
- ^ London Evening News, 1987
- ^ Saga,1988-2002
- ^ Competitors Journal, 15 August 1991,'CJ has lost a friend', 10 October 1991,'Where is Michael Watts?'
- ^ The Independent, 'The Agreeable World of Wallace Arnold', 22 September 1991
- ^ UK Press Gazette, 8 October 1990, 'Litterbug letter lout'
- ^ PR Week, 6 December 1984, 'If The House of Commons were to be televised, what would be the implications?'
- ^ Marketing Week, 21 March 1986, Iain Murray's Last Word column: 'Blackening TIM's good name'
- ^ Amateur Photographer, 1 November 1986, 'APL action on film losses'
- ^ The Guardian, 17 November 1984,'So much heavy metal': the abolition of the £1 note
- ^ Peterborough, Daily Telegraph, 5 July 1979, 'Posted in Haste?': the failings of the Post Office delivery service
- ^ Punch 1 October 1975, 5 November 1975
- ^ Forever Ambridge (p220) by Norman Painting, Michael Joseph, 1975. ISBN 9780718114220
- ^ Westminster Review, 1995-2000
- ^ Active Life, 2002-2005
- ^ Michael Watts
- ^ Examples: Radio Times, News Stand, 14 July 1979, 26 May 1984, 29 June 1986, 14 July 1984, 25 November 1984.
- ^ UK Press Gazette, December 1978, 'Press Salute'.