Legendary Wigan journalist signs off from his Wigan World column

A journalist with the paper man and boy, Geoff’s Wigan World has occupied a page in the paper for 40 years and has regularly entertained readers by revelling in Wigan’s rich heritage.

But, as the man himself says, all good things must come to an end, and he has decided that last week’s musings were his last.

At home in Shevington, Geoff said: “I’m only a couple of years off 80 now and have decided that enough is enough.

"My computer is kaput and I have to admit that I haven’t caught up with all these rapid advances in technology.

"So the time is right to call it a day.”

Geoff was a journalist long before his column launched mind you.

Born in Hindley, the son of a miner, he wanted to get into newspapers from an early age, so much so that at the age of just 13 he learnt shorthand from his friend Peggy who, years on, would become Mrs Shryhane.

A couple of years later he went for an interview with the then Observer editor Fred Dove who saw promise in the young Shryhane but warned him that he would need to learn shorthand. “But I’ve already got 60 words per minute,” pointed out the teenager, and from that moment on the job was his.

Geoff soon proved to have a gift for sniffing out stories and having a nice way with words.

And he eventually cornered the market for celebrity interviews, not least because he routinely previewed and reviewed big shows in Manchester.

His work took him from grilling prime ministers – including Margaret Thatcher and James Callaghan – to writing features on stars from Les Dawson to Priscilla Presley. He even managed to get a word with the late Pele on his trip to Wigan.

In 1983 he was offered his own column because editor Tom Scott could see Geoff had a special gift for writing and knew Wigan inside-out.

Wigan World became a regular feature, sometimes commenting on the topics of the day, often reminiscing about times from Wigan’s past and occasionally starring two fictional characters called Ethel and Doris whose comic banter was a wonderful vehicle for Geoff’s superb grasp of the Wigan vernacular.

He rose through the ranks to become the Observer’s deputy editor before retiring in the mid-1990s.

But he didn’t hang up his pad and pen altogether and Wigan World kept being delivered every week without fail – until last week’s final page.

Current Wigan Observer editor Charles Graham said: “Geoff is a journalistic legend, not just round here but across the North West.

"Little wonder many friends and admirers call him Mr Wigan: the town runs through him like a stick of rock.

“I was very sad at his decision to retire Wigan World which has been a popular Observer fixture for four decades, but fully understand his reasoning. We wish him the very best for the future."

Geoff added: “I have loved journliasm. Those who think it’s a nine to five job have got it totally wrong.

"Would I do it all again? I sure would. It’s been an absolute blast.”