A Dumfries journalist has been reflecting on an incredible seven decades in the industry.
Bert Houston’s fascinating career has seen him cover courts, conflicts, disasters, military exercises and Queen of the South since the 1940s.
The 87-year-old said: “If I had to sum up my journalism career in one sentence – I was in a constant fight with the clock.
“My biggest piece of advice for any journalist is that there is a story in everything if you look hard enough.”
A Dumfries Academy student, Bert joined the Dumfriesshire Newspaper group on the printing side at the Courier office before gaining some experience compiling advertising feature articles.
He was then encouraged to turn to reporting by the paper’s editor at the time, William Laidlaw.
The Standard, BBC, Westsound, Evening Citizen and most daily newspapers are just some of the places Bert has had work published and broadcast.
In the 1970s Bert was sent to Germany to cover the British forces based there and this led to further opportunities which provided many career highlights, even if there weren’t many home comforts.
He said: “I wrote a feature about the military in Berlin in 1975 and they must’ve thought I had done a good job as they kept inviting me back.
“I was lucky enough to travel to Malyasia, the Gulf, Hong Kong, the Mojave Desert, Saudi Arabia, the Falklands and Jamaica.
“Some times things got a bit scary and in the Falklands the conditions were very poor.
“In Basra there was just a single bed with the legs sawn off on the ground and above it and behind were sand bags and above it a steel shelf. It felt like you were going in to a coffin.
“That was to protect you from any blasts.
“But those times were a highlight. The co-operation from the soldiers was excellent.”
On many occasions Bert was stationed with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers for his features which provided a local angle.
He kept tabs on the veterans and covered a squad of soldiers receiving the Malaysian medal of honour for serving the 1950s in what became known as one of Britain’s forgotten wars.
John Paul Jones was a point of interest for Bert and he interviewed best selling author Clive Cussler who was fascinated by the story of the Solway-born sailor known as the father of the modern-day US Navy.
Cussler had carried out a dozen underwater searches in the North Sea off Flamborough Head, in a bid to find the wreck of the converted French merchantman Bonhomme Richard, Jones’most famous ship.
In 1988 Bert was one of the first journalists in Lockerbie after the downing of Pan Am Flight 103 with the loss of 270 lives.
He recalled: “I was working for BBC Radio Cumbria at the time and it was a horrible night.
“I was one of the first reporters down there and I remember that feeling of disbelief as I approached the town.”
Bert is a well known face in the industry and spent decades covering the court for the Standard as well as Queen of the South for numerous news agencies.
Indeed, he has watched the Championship side for more than half of their 102 year existence.
He said: “I remember the first game I went to in 1945 it finished Queens 3-0 Hibernian.
“I was also there for the first match under the floodlights in a game against Preston.
“The floodlights were the highlight that night because Preston won easily.”
The Covid pandemic and ill-health has slowed down Bert but he has carried on writing.
He said: “I’ve no plans to retire.”
