The man who was the heart and soul of The Banner
Howard Allan Driver: May 1, 1948-October 5, 2018
Howard Driver, who died on October 5 in Gloucester, was one of Arran’s best known personalities.
Through his role as vice-president of the Arran Farmers’ Society and his work with The Arran Banner over several decades he was familiar with, and involved in, almost all aspects of Arran life. In 1986 he was instrumental in bringing Princess Anne to attend the Arran Farmers’ Show in Lamlash and from 1985 he printed The Arran Banner until it was taken over by The Oban Times Ltd in 2003 and printing was moved to the mainland.
Howard was born in 1948 in Sale, near Manchester, to Robert and Kathleen Driver. His father died when he was only three and then his brother Anthony died at the age of six leaving Howard to be brought up as an only child by his mother and grandmother. He did well, however, at Sale Boys Grammar and was eager to go into agriculture, although becoming a farmer then meant either inheriting a farm, or having the money to buy one, but neither route was open to him.
Instead he went to agricultural college in Shropshire and began his working life travelling from farm to farm selling veterinary products for farm animals.
At Sale Grammar his chum throughout his teens was John Armstrong, with both boys devoted to Manchester United (before that team was top of the league). John had a sister Helen, who Howard was friendly with too, and that friendship later blossomed into romance. Howard and Helen were married in Wilmslow in 1974. The young couple lived in South Wales and later Staffordshire. Children followed - Andrew in 1977 and Stuart in 1979. But the idea of being a ‘real’ farmer had never gone away.
After a few holidays on Arran, the call of ‘the good life’ was beckoning, so much that in 1981, in partnership with his cousins by marriage, Gus and Sharon MacLeod, they purchased a smallholding at Glenscorrodale on the Ross Road from Willie McConnell. In fact, Howard and Gus, now Arran’s local officer, made the decision to buy without either wife having actually seen it.
Did it offer the good life? There was no electricity, a private water supply which needed constant attention, they were in the middle of nowhere, and on top of that the partnership failed.
The MacLeods moved out and Howard and Helen were left with a remote bed and breakfast – for which the whole family had to move into a caravan every summer – and a small flock of sheep. Howard had to become a cook for the guests but even that was not enough to support the family, so he decided he would need a job.
Late in 1984 he met John Millar, the owner/editor of The Banner and, in conversation, it was mentioned that Mo Khan, his printer, had just announced that he wanted to explore his roots in Pakistan and would shortly be leaving. Howard sensed an opportunity and offered his services, despite knowing nothing about printing. John had only recently taught himself to print and had some misgivings but, believing that attitude was more important than experience or training, he took him on for what was to become Howard’s metier, in one form or another, for the rest of his working life.
Once he had mastered the rudiments of the printing press, Howard became meticulous in his search for quality. Within a few years, with the commercial printing side of the business growing, he became full time and in a couple of years a big new shiny Ryobi printing press was installed.
Howard’s pride in that machine might be likened to the way some men might feel about a shiny new sports car. It was not without problems though, and there were breakdowns, but gradually he became more and more adept at dealing with these engineering difficulties too.
Printing the first colour pictures (not common at that time) of Santa arriving at the top of the String Road with a sack of toys was a huge technical success and not only did Howard achieve that, he was also Santa.
One great source of pride to him was that there was never a week, whatever technical difficulties arose, when The Banner did not come out on time.
Meanwhile, his farming interests progressed. His sheep were a good entry into the farming community and soon he was an office bearer in the Arran Farmers’ Society. He had particular skills which were very suitable for this – some of the farmers described him as ‘learned’.
He also had a confident speaking voice and was an excellent public speaker. By careful application, he managed to get Princess Anne to come to the 1986 show. What a day that was for the whole island, but also for Howard who had to accompany the Royal guest round and make sure everything went smoothly. Which it did.
But it was his work at The Banner to which he became more and more attached, particularly as he realised that it covered every as-
pect of Arran life, as well as farming. The close team there, John and Deanna Millar, Jenni Turnbull from Shiskine, and Howard, all shared the fun and the commitment to this unique job which led them all into so many unusual situations.
One was the military exercise Purple Warrior in 1987 when NATO armies descended on Arran to replay the Falklands War – the generals always fight the last war, never the next one! Howard was ‘embedded’ with the British troops and on the defeat of the insurgent forces, he was flown by helicopter out to HMS Illustrious to see the troops away.
Another particular memory for him was the visit of the Queen. Howard was unwell at the time but did not want to be left out and volunteered to assist, a helpful move since protocol prevented anybody overtaking the Queen on the road, so each location needed somebody already in situ. He was sent to Lochranza and there captured the superb front page picture of The Queen thronged by Lochranza residents and the back page picture of her leaving Arran in a launch to board the Royal Yacht.
Still a supporter of Manchester United, an invitation was received for Alex Ferguson’s book launch. Howard could not be restrained. Off he went wearing a Manchester United tie which Sir Alex immediately saw and wanted to know all about his support for the team as well as about The Banner. He left with two signed copies, one for son Andrew and one for chum George Tod of Glenree.
Another of Howard’s strengths was his kindly and mentoring way with young people. Work experience and summer jobs meant a steady flow of teenagers spending work placements at The Banner and Howard was always willing to explain and to guide.
One area in which he excelled was headlines. One of the most memorable was for the story about the then owners of Holy Isle bringing over German shooters to kill the rare breeds of sheep and goats which were resident there. He came up with ‘Goats Felled’. Another was during a dispute over the building of a doctor’s surgery on Brodick bowling green. Somebody had spoken in favour of the plan and that part of the story was headlined ‘Surgical Support’. There were many wonderful headline ideas but some were unprintable since the Banner staff aimed to remain in business. Howard’s son Andrew said: ‘It was his whole life. He loved it, he lived it, he breathed it.’
In 2003 The Oban Times Ltd bought The Banner and this was an uncertain time for the staff. In November it all changed and, instead of it being 100 per cent Arran produced, the newsgathering was done on the island but the layouts were sent by computer to be printed elsewhere, initially in Falkirk.
The Millars had stood down and two years later, Jenni decided to leave, with only Howard left from the original team. He became principal reporter in what was a completey different set up, with everything being digital. Yet he steered The Banner carefully in these new circumstances, particularly with new staff and the Oban hierarchy knowing so much less about Arran.
He introduced his own touches too, not least his Where’s Murphy? Although when that became Where’s Archie? he found he had a much less cooperative dog to deal with. He wasn’t comfortable with every change though. For example son Andrew said: ‘He carried his little Olympus Trip camera everywhere because he just didn’t trust digital.’
Howard became ill about 2007 and was diagnosed with cancer. After a short absence he returned to the office and continued enjoying the many aspects of Arran life to which his work took him.
Both sons had married and moved south and Howard and Helen made plans to follow them on his retirement. They left Arran in 2013 and almost immediately his illness was found to have returned. Neverthless he was able to return to farming and, for two or three years enjoyed a job in a farming museum, Coggs Manor Farm, where he would dress up in rustic farming togs and teach children about old, and not so old, farming techniques.
He loved this work, too, and was close to his grandchildren, although he knew time was running out.
He returned to Arran to speak at George Tod’s funeral and had hoped to make this year’s Arran Show. He was not able to come to Arran for that, but he did make the Moreton Show in September.
Howard is survived by wife Helen, sons Andrew and Stuart, and by three grandsons all of whom he was very proud. There will be a memorial service in memory of Howard in Shiskine Church on Monday October 29 at 11.30am.