Davidson, Paul – Local reporter became a Fleet Street hero

Davidson, Paul (1949-2015)

PAUL Davidson was born in Sleaford, and grew up in nearby Ancaster where he went to the village primary school. From there he progressed to Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford.

Leaving school in 1965, Paul began work as a trainee reporter on the Grantham Journal, trained at Clarendon College, Nottingham, and launched a career spanning almost 50 years in the media industry.

He took over the Bourne office of the Journal before marrying Shirley in 1969. The family moved to Colchester in the early 1970s when he took up a job with the BT press office.

He became chief reporter at the Colchester Gazette and was military reporter at the Evening Gazette, Colchester, in the Seventies – an important post in an Army town in the Troubles era.

At weekends he did reporting shifts with the People and he eventually moved there full-time.

During this period, almost lost an eye while covering the Brixton riots for the People as a freelance. He was slashed across the head with a knife and, for a while, it was feared that he might lose his sight. Instead, he proudly bore a scar.

He and reporter Arnie Wilson had been attacked by six or seven youths. Paul was actually trying to warn another People colleague, Roger Insall, that a fire had been lit under his car – Roger was inside it trying to move the vehicle. After that incident, Paul had a healthy fear of confined spaces.

He also worked for a spell with the Mirror.

Paul, always known as PD, had the looks and manner of a detective, which usually worked to his advantage.

Fellow journalist Dave Clark, who knew Davidson for 40 years, said: “As a reporter he was the bravest of the bunch,” “Chasing villains and murder suspects around dockland pubs for the Colchester Evening Gazette, or unearthing big scandal for the People, he would knock on the doors others feared to approach”.

Davidson went on to report from Northern Ireland and, although it was rare for reporters to become subs, he made that switch by becoming a sub, first at the News of the World and later at the Sun.

Like many veteran journalists, he enjoyed a drink or two and was a leading member of the North Countryman’s Club in Colchester, where he lived, attracting many friends as members.

He died on the train home after finishing his shift at the Sun, having suffered a suspected heart attack.