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Inspirational journalist with a sense of mischief
CHRISTINE Garbutt, who has died aged 69, made her name as a campaigning journalist for the Daily Mirror.
Working on the title from the 1970s, she earnt the respect of her Fleet Street colleagues for her adaptability – she could turn her hand to anything the editors asked of her, ranging from hardnosed investigative journalism to helping ghost write Marje Proops’ agony aunt column – and her integrity in pursuing stories.
Christine (pictured) was born in St Albans Road in 1938 and went to La Sainte Union school. Her first job in journalism was on a Hertfordshire paper where she learnt the trade, and then moved to the popular paper Reveille. Her father Jack Garbutt was the editor of the Sunday Express.
Christine went freelance as she brought up three children before returning to full time work at the Mirror.
Her career saw her take on such stories as investigating allegations over the misappropriation of funds given to the National Union of Mineworkers.
She also went undercover, writing a series of articles about the telephone sex industry. She received death threats from the gangsters she had exposed.
She was a keen sportswoman, playing golf with her family and she had a real love of the turf, often going to horse racing meetings. She loved betting and was known among her friends and colleagues for her ability as a tipster.
Christine’s father had introduced her to swimming on Hampstead Heath as a little girl – she would join him in breaking the ice each year for a Christmas Day dip. Her Lissenden Gardens flat overlooked the lido, and she would swim there each morning.
Her flat’s balcony gave both her and her neighbours great pleasure – she turned it into an oasis, and she won the Town Hall’s ‘best balcony’ in their gardening competition on more than one occasion.
Her friends will always remember her enormous sense of fun and mischief – she would sing bawdy music hall songs for amateur music hall society The Lissenden Players.
But she will also be remembered in Camden for the time she gave to causes: she was a governor at Gospel Oak school, an active member of the Lissenden Garden Tenants and Residents Association, and worked tirelessly for charities, including raising money for children with leukaemia and working with cricket legend Ian Botham organising sponsored walks. She was a life-long member of the Labour Party and her politics were important to her, helping shape her work both at the Mirror and for her community.
Among colleagues at the Mirror was Tony Blair’s former spin doctor, Alastair Campbell. He recalls her kindness when he started at the paper as a rookie reporter.
He said: “She was a fantastic support to me and my partner Fiona Millar when we were Mirror trainees. She was a good person – she was always ready with advice and support. As a journalist, she could turn her hand to anything – she could do serious stuff and light stuff. She did brave work, and was very diligent in pursuing a story. She was amazingly knowledgeable about sport and had a sense of fun.
“She was also really proud of the community she lived in and worked hard for it. She was an inspiration to those who were lucky enough to know her.”
Christine is survived by her three children Mark, Nick and Lucy.
Her funeral takes place at noon tomorrow (Friday) at St Joseph’s on Highgate Hill. All are welcome.
DAN CARRIER |
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