Documento 19 - John Fairhall

2 minidiscs, 2 cds, 1 file, 4 AIFF files (1.79 GB)

Interview with John Fairhall, African correspondent/education editor for the Guardian. Conducted by Randeep Ramesh on 8 February 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
00.00 Hired off the street to 'come in on Monday'
02.35 Describes the Cross Street building and how Oxbridge men were the leader writers
05.20 Normal working day in the early 1960s

12.00 The move to London

25.00 Received PanAm flights in exchange for advertising in the paper
26.30 Fighting at Entebbe, travel subsidised by the BBC
28.00 Was he frightened?
29.00 Arrives at Idi Amin's residence

32.30 Describes Idi Amin

40.00 Describes his arrest
41.30 Phone rings while being arrested - 'Hello this is John [Cole] here'
43.00 Told 'no one ever comes out alive'

52.30 Picture of him on the front of the paper following his release with a glass of champagne, first time alcohol appeared on the front page
58.00 Martin Walker reporting on Uganda

60.25 *
65.00 Education correspondent
68.00 Difference of perspective with colleagues

Disc 2:
Track1
Test

Track 2
00.20 Discussion of Peter Preston
04.00 How the paper changed during the leadership of Preston
08.00 Expansion of the Guardian
08.40 Member of the Scott Trust Foundation

10.00 Value of working with advertising
13.00 Involvement of editorial staff in views of the newspaper
17.30 Involvement in the Sarah Tisdall incident when cruise missile documents were sent to the Guardian
19.45 Signs outside Farringdon Road offices criticising the Guardian over the sending of Tisdall to prison

20.05 Discussion of Denis Healey and the residual family trusts bill

Restricted - Access to edited recording via GNM Digital Repository

Copyright: Guardian News & Media Ltd and John Fairhall