Happy memories of the Observer
Chichester is a place rich in resonance for Philippa Gregory whose 2001 novel The Other Boleyngirlhasopenedthe2024 Chichesterfestivaltheatreseason in a new stage adaption.
“I won’t say it’s a dream because I would never have dreamed that a book of mine would be adapted to be a play at Chichester Festival Theatre,” Philippa says. “I can’t say it’s a dream. It’s beyond a dream.”
The point is that it was in Chichester that Philippa started her working life, as a junior reporter for the Chichester Observer, also working for The News in Portsmouth at the recently and sadly demolished News Centre in Hilsea.
“I was around 20 and I was there from 73 to about 75 or 76, based in the Chichester office which at the time was in South Street. It was really, really fun. I wasajuniorjournalistandiused to pick up the market reports from the estate agents, presumably because the estate agents did the auctions. I was picking upthefatlambpricesandrather than walk around I was incrediblylazyandiborrowedthenews vendor’sbikeandi'dbewobbling through the streets of Chichester picking up the market reports,thepriceoffatlambs.ihad noideawhatiwaswritingabout. But it was while I was at Chichester office that I realised that I was going to go to university. I had not been to university when I left school because I wanted to get a job and get on and I was in a hurry. But at Chichester office there was not a lunchtime drinking culture. Peter Homer (for many years the Chichester Observer'schiefreporter)would bring a packed lunch in and sit at his desk and read the newspapersoiwouldgoofftothelibrary and I decided that I would read all the novels in the library one after another.
“I remember Peter Homer very, very fondly, always in the left-hand corner of the office. There was another female junior reporter there and he would address us with mock formality and say ‘Miss Murray or Miss Gregory,wouldyoubesokindas togodowntothefrontofficeand see someone who is wanting to talk about bin collections.’ And I would say ‘But I want to write thebigstories!’andhewouldsay ‘Yes, but first of all Miss Pargeter andherbincollectionplease.’he was a very very good journalist andiverymuchenjoyedmytime in journalism. I went from journalism to Sussex University and thenintolocalbbcradio.theni wenttouniversityinedinburgh. Ineverknewwhatiwantedtodo until I found historical fiction.”