Tributes to 'class act' and old-school Hartlepool Mail journalist Malcolm Pickering

Newsman Malcolm Pickering, who shared people’s stories in a 40-year career in journalism, passed away in hospital after a very short battle with cancer on Monday, November 9.

Malcolm, a father of two, and granddad, worked for the Mail for around 20 years in the 1970s and 80s including as a crime reporter, motoring correspondent and on the newsdesk.

His son Daniel Pickering, 46, said: “He found it interesting, especially crime reporting. I think he really enjoyed that.

"He did that for about 20 years in the later part of his career.”

Malcolm began his career in journalism on the Middlesbrough Gazette before joining the Mail and returned to the Gazette for the final part of his career until he retired in 2004.

Among the thousands of stories he reported on for the Mail was the arrival of HMS Warrior into Hartlepool to be restored in September 1979.

Writing to the Mail in 2014, Malcolm said: “The old girl provided a steady stream of other stories during her all too brief sojourn in the town.”

Chris Cordner, who has been with the Mail for 40 years, knew Malcolm from being a lad when going to sporting events across the North East with Malcolm and Chris’s journalist dad Tom Cordner.

Chris said: “We renewed acquaintances a few years later as Malcolm was the Chief Reporter when I first started at the Mail.

“He was tasked with shaping fledgling journalists into seasoned professionals. He was a class act in that role.

“Later still, he was the court reporter for the Middlesbrough Gazette when I held the corresponding post for the Hartlepool Mail, and was a well-established face in the courtrooms of Teesside.

"Again, he was a guiding hand for all those who wanted to benefit from his vast journalistic experience.

“Malcolm was proper old-school journalist and one whose guiding hand will be a big miss.”

Mail journalist Gavin Ledwith also got to know Malcolm while covering cases alongside him at Teesside Crown Court in the 1990s.

He said: "Malcolm was a cheerful person who was only too willing to help less experienced and less able journalists like myself.

"He could also tell a good tale by delving into his wealth of anecdotes from covering the courts."

Outside of work, he was a regular of The Causeway pub in Hartlepool for most of his adult life where he liked nothing better than relaxing over a beer among friends.

Son Daniel said: “He was a very jolly man. He loved to have a pint in the pub with his mates. The Causeway was his local where he spent a lot of his time.

"He also loved his rescue dogs. And he used to love motorcycling until he couldn’t do it anymore because of a double hip replacement.”Malcolm, who lived in the Brierton area, was also dad to Caroline Raine, 48, and granddad to Thomas, three, and Jonathon, 30. He also leaves partner Margaret.

His funeral will take place at Hartlepool Crematorium on Tuesday, November 24, at 10am.

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