Former E&S journalist dies aged 83

John, from Condover, had retired in 1991 after a journalistic career of nearly 33 years with the Midland News Association, during which he worked on several different titles.

His interests in retirement included photography and foreign travel. He had a lifelong love of classical music, and also wrote an autobiography called "Perhaps I'm Really Mervyn Davenport," the story behind the title going back to the day of his birth in 1931.

"Mrs Beck had gone in a nursing home in Tipton. The lady in the next bed had a little boy on the same day called Mervyn Davenport," said John's widow, Jean Mary Beck

"Both John's family and Mervyn's family moved away from Tipton into Coseley and John and Mervyn went to the same school. As a teenager, when he was playing up a bit, mum Beck used to say 'I think they gave me the wrong baby at that nursing home. You must be Mervyn Davenport.' And that stuck."

The book largely focussed on his childhood in the Black Country and his early years of journalism, which were broken by a spell of National Service.

She and John married in 1959 but had known each other from an early age.

"We lived next door to each other from when I was aged three in Woodsetton, just outside Sedgley. My maiden name is Spicer."

The couple had sons Christopher and Michael, both of whom predeceased them.

"In the last three years I have lost all three men in my life," said Mrs Beck.

John had had a stroke last year and went to the Vicarage Care Home in Bayston Hill and died there.

"He was very happy. They really looked after him so well at Bayston Hill."

The funeral is at noon on December 19 at Emstrey Crematorium, Shrewsbury.

Born in Park Lane, Tipton, John Cyril Beck went to Dudley Grammar School in 1942 and in September 1947 began working at the Herald Press in the town in the proof reading room. After nine months an urgent plea to editor Norman Braithwaite coincided with a vacancy in the Brierley Hill office of the County Advertiser and he began one of the happiest times of his career, making calls on his trusty bicycle and becoming familiar with all the short cuts through places like Pensnett, Quarry Bank, Kingswinford, Wordsley and Amblecote.

"I was known to every parson and policeman in the area," he was to recall.

In September 1951 he journeyed to RAF Padgate for two years' National Service. On his return to civilian life in 1953 he was back into journalism and was soon writing for the Express & Star in the Stafford office where he took over coverage of theatre productions.

Later he worked in Bilston before becoming deputy editor of the Wolverhampton Chronicle. He and his wife moved to Condover when he joined the team led by first editor Ted Ireland to launch the Shropshire Star in 1964.

A spell followed with the Birmingham Post and Mail before he returned to the Express & Star as assistant features editor. He finished his career by returning to the Chronicle, where he was deputy editor.

In his younger days John was a keen cyclist and a member of Dudley Cyclists Touring Club. He was for a time on the committee of Condover village hall and used to organise a fundraising annual ball, and he was also for a while a member of Shrewsbury Golf Club.