Pat Stannard, who covered Waltham Forest as a reporter and editor for more than two decades, died recently
By Marco Marcelline
Tributes have been paid to a “deeply caring” former local journalist, Pat Stannard, who edited the Waltham Forest Guardian from 2000 to 2008.
Pat, 78, originally from Scotland, passed away last month shortly after being diagnosed with stage-four cancer. She and her husband Adrian met in Muswell Hill in 1970 through their local church drama group, with Pat helping with props, and Adrian assisting the lighting. They went on to marry and have two daughters.
Speaking about his wife of 52 years, Adrian said: “What attracted to me most to Pat was her brains; she was very inquisitive of everything around her- it’s what made her such a fantastic journalist.”
Pat started her journalism career straight out of school, taking on an apprenticeship with a local newspaper in Largs, Scotland. Eventually moving to London after a stint living and working in Glasgow, Pat reported at titles including the Hornsey Journal and Camden Journal.
She joined the Waltham Forest Guardian as a reporter in 1987 and hit her stride; in 1997, Pat was recognised at the Press Gazette Awards for being the best news reporter in the country in the paid-for weeklies category.
Her time as editor from 2000 to 2008 was defined by regular community campaigns including one against the closure of the Walthamstow Stadium, and one for the Granada Theatre to be brought back to full community use.
Pat would often send her reporters out of the office as part of those campaigns, Adrian recalls. After the NHS floated a plan to move vital health services from Whipps Cross to Havering, Pat asked her team to get on varying means of public transport from Walthamstow to Romford to see how long their trips would take.
Colleagues say she didn’t have a romanticised view of local journalism, and saw it for what it was; a means to educate the public on what was really happening in their local area.
Speaking to trade journal Hold The Front Page in 2005, Pat said: “People often talk disparagingly about local newspapers. We have proved many times that life on a local newspaper is not all fetes and flower shows – in fact in London boroughs like ours, the opposite is true.”
Sarah Cosgrove who worked under Pat while she was editor of the Waltham Forest Guardian fondly recalls Pat’s “deep care” for the local community she covered and to those who were disadvantaged and mistreated.
Conscious, “clear-headed” reporting that gave context and clarity rather than outrage and division defined Pat’s approach to telling a story.
This was seen when the world’s attention turned to Walthamstow when it was revealed three Al-Qaeda recruits had planned to bomb transatlantic flights from their Forest Road flat.
Sarah remembers: “Pat was at paints to understand and explain, not simply condemn. She wanted the story behind the story, she wanted context and community cohesion; a 360-degree view. She favoured future prevention over punishment.”
As an editor, Pat was the “epitome of firm but fair”, Sarah said, adding: “She saw it as her job to most effectively nurture and use [her team], rather than to turn out a series of indentikit news robots.”
Sarah continued: “I remember her intelligence and humour, the fantastic way she said murder in her beautiful Scottish accent, the way she would go for a walk to clear her head, and come back with a creative plan of action, her excitement when a reporter found a great lead, more so an exclusive, her extremely strong work ethic, her love of Scottish shortbread and, of course, tea.”
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