REPORTING local government — debates and decisions of district councils — is one of the most important tasks facing local newspapermen and, also, the most demanding.

The scribes have to be shorthand writers, summarisers of masses of facts and interpreters of speeches, which sometimes lack clarity and point.

Already under pressure, newsmen may be quaking at the suggestion that they should produce verbatim reports of council debates, made in a letter by Jeremy Godwin.

Verbatim means “word for word, exactly, precisely, to the letter”.

Frankly, there have been — and probably still are — many councillors who rely on reporters to “tidy up” their utterances, which can be confused and rambling, sometimes blurted out in a heated debate.

They are well-intentioned and hold strong opinions, but cannot always translate them quickly into correct sentences.

So a good reporter has to paraphrase — or restate a passage of speech in slightly different terms.

Under pressure, Councillor Bloggs may say: “Oh, Mr. Chairman. Let’s not get this wrong. At the end of the day, people are worried. It’s such a big step. We have to realise that. Think of the other things we could do with £100,000.”

A more understandable summary will probably appear: “Councillor Bloggs questioned the proposal on grounds of cost.”

Perish the thought of verbatim reporting, for the complexities of local government mean that meetings of many committees are also covered, whereas in the past there was one council meeting a month. Word for word reports of all councillors’ utterances would drive reporters crazy and probably bore readers.

SERIOUS SIDE OF WI

It was probably the most amazing headline of the century, certainly in the revered columns of The Times. Spread across the full width of page five, the header read: “WI launches crusade for licensed brothels”.

Alongside a picture of a member engaged in the traditional activity of bottling fruit was a report of how WIs in Hampshire are calling for licensing of brothels as a means of protecting women who work as prostitutes.

The move was inspired by the murder of five street prostitutes in Ipswich a year ago. “They were somebody’s daughters, somebody’s sisters and came from all sorts of backgrounds,” said campaign leader Jean Johnson.

The crusade illustrates how the WI movement has matured since earlier years when the emphasis was on countrywomen socialising, passing on rural skills and developing their personalities.

As a youthful sub-editor of WI reports, this columnist was fascinated by the ingenuity of members in livening up meetings with lighthearted contests.

The lighting of countless candles with a single match was popular in many WIs, as was cramming as many items as possible in a matchbox or, by way of a variation, the largest selection of things beginning with B in a jamjar.

Trim ankles were judged at Great Asby, while dexterous hips were called for at Warcop where they indulged in the 1950s craze of manipulating hula-hoops.

And how much practice would there be at North Stainmore for a competition to see who made the best job of peeling a potato when blindfolded? Or at Musgrave where they vied with each other in lifting peas with a knitting needle?

That was the lighter side of Women’s Institutes, which have now adopted a much more serious role. No doubt, though, they still have fun.

HOME OF A NEWSPAPER

King Street is a-changing. The Penrith thoroughfare, always a vibrant part of town, has already seen many alterations and amendments to buildings.

Offices have replaced shops and pubs. Another pub, the old Horse and Farrier, is now a hairdressers’ shop, while the Grapes is a classy boutique.

In a recent conversion, the former Westminster Bank became the Blue Jay Way, a wine bar and coffee lounge.

The latest transformation stirs memories of a former newspaper, the Penrith Observer, whose old offices have become an extension of the shop of Joseph Cowper, family chemist.

It is almost 40 years since the Observer folded, having been in the King Street property since 1948 when the paper passed from local ownership to the Cumbrian Newspapers group.

There was no sense of rejoicing among journalists in the nearby Herald office when the Observer succumbed to dwindling circulation figures.

Although the paper’s reporters were our rivals, they were also our friends, coffee companions in Dayson’s milkbar.

Half-a-century and more ago, the little office was dominated by the clatter of typewriters and the Observer was well served by Bob Horsley (the last editor), Robin Miller and, before them, C. Roy Hudleston, Dick Allen, Ronnie Thompson, June Birson, Ken Bruce, John Barker, Joe Gregory, Mary Rusdale, Brian Dawson, John Miskelly and the Nicholson brothers, Ken and Norman, among others.

King Street was Penrith’s own “Fleet Street” and the camaraderie of reporters was strong and memorable.