Remembering journalist who had Tunnel vision
AMIDLANDS journalist who played a pivotal role in the launch of the Channel Tunnel during a distinguished 50-year career in newspapers and PR has died.
Ken Jackson was director of corporate affairs at Wolverhamptonbased Tarmac when the construction giant was lobbying for the contract to help build the tunnel.
The 76-year-old, who has died following a lengthy illness, helped to mastermind the Tarmac publicity campaign which eventually led to the construction of the historic UK-France link.
One of the biggest engineering projects ever undertaken in the UK, taking more than seven years with more than 13,000 workers from England and France, the Tunnel has been named one of the seven wonders of the modern world, opening in May 1994.
Ken’s widow Hilary said: “Tarmac was one of the companies in the consortium to build the tunnel and Ken was in charge of the PR and marketing campaign at the time.
“He always said he helped secure the mandate for the Tunnel.”
Born in Chadsmoor, Cannock, the miner’s son began as a trainee reporter with the tiser before moving to newspapers in the North East.
He returned to the West Midlands in 1964 to work on the business desk of the in Wolverhampton.
He later joined the Post as property editor before taking up his first communications job as PR manager at the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth.
Ken returned with the
Hilary added: “He had a real sense of community.
“He always wanted to help people, that was his raison d’être until he died – he would give anybody a helping hand.”
Family and friends recall a kind and generous personality who could find common ground with all walks of life.
Former Birmingham Mail business editor Jon Griffin said: “I knew Ken for 40 years from when we first talked in the summer of 1978 in his role at Tarmac.
“You meet so many people over the years in this business and lose touch with 95 per cent of them. But Ken always stayed in touch.
“He was always a journalist at heart and loved nothing more than recalling his days at the Birmingham Post and Mail in the years of mass circulation newspapers.
“He was a true gentleman, shrewd with an astute business brain, as well as a supportive and loyal friend with a wry sense of humour.”
Former Birmingham Post business editor Fred Bromwich added: “Ken and I first met up in the 1950s when we were both on the National Council for the Training of Journalists course and, as with many of his former colleagues, he had remained in contact ever since.
“Ken enjoyed a great career as an outstanding journalist in his field and he was the complete PR professional.”
Ken is survived by widow Hilary, daughter Debra and son Marcus from his first marriage.
The funeral will be held at St Dominic’s in Stone at 12pm on Monday, July 16, followed by burial at All Saints Church in Sandon and refreshments later at Sandy Leys Farm in Sandon.
He was always a journalist at heart and loved nothing more than recalling his days at the Birmingham Post and Mail in the years of mass circulation newspapers Jon Griffin, former business editor,