Documento 16 - Chris Dodd

1 minidisc, 1 cd, 1 file, 9 AIFF files (762.9 MB)

Interview with Chris Dodd, journalist for the Guardian. Conducted by Nick Robinson on 28 November 2001. Also includes a data sheet containing biographical details about the subject and information about the recording.

Summary contents of interview (with rough timings):

Disc 1:
Track 1
00.20 Joined Manchester Guardian in 1965 after writing to the newspaper asking for work as a features writer
01.25 His first visit to the Cross Street Manchester office and his appointment
02.51 Interview took place in a pub
04.50 Friendly rivalry between London and Manchester
06.00 Design of teletypesetting
07.20 Remembers Mary Stott, the women's editor
08.50 Discusses the features department and the design of the features pages

11.25 Unconventional backgrounds of Guardian staff
13.30 A normal day at Cross Street
15.00 Receiving strange letters and sending them to the Manchester Evening News
15.45 No telephones in reporters offices
19.00 The move to London, the financial crisis and the possibility of a merger with the Times

21.00 The different atmosphere at London office
25.30 How the features department did their own cropping and selection of pictures

Track 2
00.00 Differences working under Peter Preston
01.27 Working in a production capacity
02.40 Working on the first fashion pages, which were the first colour pages

Track 3
00.00 The office pub routine
01.00 How his career developed. Became production editor of women's pages in 1970s
01.25 Redesign of the newspaper
02.24 Asked to redesign the sports pages
04.40 Became deputy sports editor
05.20 Resistance to changes to design of sports pages
06.55 Return to features department in 1980
07.40 Didn't consider himself to be a sports fan
09.40 Remembers working on features with Tim Radford

11.00 The move to Farringdon Road offices
12.00 Using bigger pictures in the paper
12.40 Staff loyalty to the newspaper
13.00 Troubles with the Times gave a boost to the Guardian
13.30 The demise of hot metal newspaper production

Track 4
00.00 The youngest sub editor on the newspaper
00.30 The division of duties between subs and printers
03.30 Printers becoming journalists
06.20 On the sounds and smells of the composing room

Track 5
00.08 Tradition of 'Banging people out' when they retired. Everybody rhythmically banging metal
00.50 The night that hot metal production stopped on Farringdon Road. Banging led by Tony, a jazz band member
01.20 Remembers the death of hot metal production. Paraded a coffin, led by a sax player. Grown men crying, was a very emotional night
01.40 The end of a career for many
02.30 Culture shock of changes to newspaper production
04.00 Women first working on the stone

Track 6
00.00 An incident involving lead being dropped into females handbag on the production floor. She was unable to lift handbag
00.37 Remembers Carol Dix, features subeditor

Track 7
00.05 In 1989 he took time off from Guardian to write book on the history of rowing
00.40 Had been working as the rowing correspondent since 1969
01.00 Return to newspaper. Remembers working on Guardian Europe
02.00 Attempts to start a rowing museum in Henley-on-Thams
02.14 Went freelance in 1984
02.50 Attended first Olypmics in 1984. Remembers first seeing seeing sportsman Steve Redgrave in 1980

Track 8
00.03 Reporting from the 2000 Sydney Olympics
00.45 Editor of Regatta magazine for 15 years
01.10 Popular interest in rowing inspired by Redgrave
03.18 Interest in rowing took over his life
03.40 Oustanding moments in his rowing coverage. Remembers race boat sinking
04.20 Remembers further rowing incidents

Track 9
00.03 Memories of the Guardian

Access to recording via GNM Digital Repository

Copyright: Guardian News & Media Ltd and Chris Dodd