Nick Young, the former Midlands journalist who became the Conservative Party’s first press officer for the West Midlands area, has died at the age of 81.
Had he lived, Young would have been in Normandy to take part in the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
As a young officer newly graduated from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, he landed on D+6 with the 22 Dragoons, a tank regiment. He had been introduced into the Army by his great friend, the actor Ian Carmichael.
After leaving the Army with the rank of Captain in 1946, Young joined the Birmingham Post and Mail as the youngest reporter on the staff.
In 1950 he and his wife Biddy moved to Worcester where he was a district reporter, before joining the Worcester Evening News as features writer and latterly news editor.
In 1973 he became the Conservative Party’s first press officer, based at Leamington Spa and looking after MPs and constituency associations in the West Midlands area. After more than 12 years in the job he retired, but continued to work part-time for Sir James Scott Hopkins and John Corrie, both Conservative MEPs.
Young was a lifelong member of the Birmingham Press Club and regularly attended meetings and reunions.
In the 1960s he broadcast regularly on the former BBC Midland Radio Saturday sports programme, reporting on Coventry and Moseley rugby matches.
Young was also a member of Worcester Rugby Club, Worcester Golf Club, Worcestershire County Cricket Club and Probus and Hadley Bowling Club.
His wife pre-deceased him. The couple had one son, Tim.
Alec Mackie, a friend and colleague who worked with Young on the Post and Mail, said Young was a muchrespected journalist: “He was one of the most affable people you were ever likely to meet. He had a wide circle of contacts and friends in all walks of life and will be sadly missed.”
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