Michael Watts (journalist)
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.
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'.