Old Bordenian Dennis Fowle, now of East Farleigh (Maidstone), tells the story of his life in journalism and newspapers in a book published last September. He recalls his years at Borden (1945-51) and how headmaster George Hardy helped and encouraged him so much in the sixth form before he was offered a chance as a junior reporter in Sittingbourne office of the Kent Messenger in Crown Quay Lane.
Dennis became manager of the Gillingham office at 21 and when he was 26 was appointed news editor of the county-wide Kent Messenger, based at Maidstone. He was there for about 10 years before he left and started a publishing company in London with two journalist friends, producing books, magazines, posters and specialist newsletters.
When he retired from London in his early 60s he started, in 1997, the Downs Mail local newspaper in Maidstone. It began as an eight-pager reaching 12,000 houses around Bearsted. Now it has grown to cover more than 88,000 houses in and around the County Town in four geographical editions and most issues have 56 or more pages. Dennis retired as Editor in Chief at Christmas and there is now a team of 15 working on the newspaper with his daughter Claire in the chair.
His 132-page A4-size book is titled ‘So I Started a Newspaper’ and tells the story of how he developed a unique newspaper which has successfully run major campaigns – including preservation of core services in Maidstone Hospital and the pedestrian bridge over the A249 at Detling (Jade’s Crossing) after an eight-year-old girl and her gran were killed crossing this busy road.
The book includes 24 pages of colour photos showing how the Downs Mail reflects the news and beauty of Maidstone. It is on sale in Maidstone area and available from Dennis at Dalbury, Lower Road, East Farleigh, Maidstone, ME15 OEX at £15 (p/p £2 extra), or email him at dfowle2011@aol.com.
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