Death of former Courier journalist David tennant

DUNDEE JOURNALIST David Tennant, a former local government reporter with The Courier and Evening Telegraph, who later became information officer of Tayside Regional Council, has died at the age of 77.

Respected for his professionalism, David was guided throughout his career by his strongly held belief that the public have a right to know what happens in municipal corridors of power.

A Dundonian, David was educated at Butterburn Primary and Rockwell Secondary where he was dux in 1948, an honour achieved by his brother Stewart three years earlier.

He joined DC Thomson where he was first an editorial assistant on The Sunday Post and then moved to the telephones where he learned to write high-speed shorthand before becoming a junior reporter.

At the age of 18 he was called up to National Service and after two years with the RAF he resumed his career with DC Thomson.

He worked mainly in Dundee but also had spells in Arbroath and Dunfermline.

David covered a wide range of topics for The Courier and Evening Telegraph including emergencies, industry, senior football and shipping which became a lifelong interest.

He was once famously banned from Tannadice because the Dundee United manager at the time didn’t like the match report he had written for the Sporting Post.

David progressed to local government reporting and covered the small town councils around Dundee and Dundee Corporation.

He became an expert on the legislation that governed councils and the conduct of meetings, his knowledge often surpassing that of the councillors and officials whose deliberations he had gone to report.

There were occasions when councils tried to ban him, only for him to point out that they had no legal powers to do so.

With the regionalisation of local government, David changed paths and became information officer briefly for the former Tayside Development-authority and then for Tayside Regional Council.

In the former role he played a part in efforts to attract US engineering company Halliburtons to Arbroath.

David witnessed and served the regional council for its entire 20 years, and when he retired in 1996 and twin-tier local government was replaced by the present unitary authorities, David was asked to write the official history of Tayside Regional Council.

Active away from his career, he studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree from the Open University and also helped run swimming and badminton activities at the Monifieth Further Education Association.

He contributed much of his time and talents to the East Church and, after its amalgamation, the New Kirk in Broughty Ferry and served as clerk to the congregational board as well as a member of the team who looked after the building and its grounds.

Dundee Heritage Trust was another of his interests – he took parties of visitors round its attractions including Discovery Point and the Verdant Works – as was the Tay Valley Family History Society.

David met his wife Gladys at DC Thomson – she was a “Tele girl” copytaker when he was a young reporter — and they lived in Broughty Ferry.

He is also survived by a daughter, son and grandson.

His funeral will be held on Friday at Dundee Crematorium followed by a service of thanksgiving at the New Kirk.