Can any Worcestershire reader help?

[Leonard Barden]

I'd like some information about the weekly column which the late Tom Wilfrid Widdows wrote in the Worcester Evening News.

When Widdows died last year, the ECF obituary stated that

At the close of the second World War, Tom took on the job of Chess Correspondent for Worcester Evening News. Writing under the byline Checkmate, his first column appeared on October 9, 1945 and he put down his pen in 2006 and is almost certainly the world record holder of the title "longest serving chess correspondent" of any newspaper in the world.


However an article in the Worcester News on 2 November 2000 (you can find it via Google)stated that

Wilfrid Widdows contributed his first chess column to the Evening News on October 9, 1945, and has been writing it continuously each week ever since during the chess seasons. He gave up playing chess a few years ago but is still Competitions Secretary for the Worcestershire Chess Association, a post he has filled for a long time. He handles all the results from the association's two divisions and also keeps in touch with the various clubs, thus placing him in an ideal position to continue producing his column for the Evening News.

This wording implies that Widdows didn't write every week throughout the year but broke off during the summer months when the chess season was over.

So two questions:

When exactly in 2006 did the column cease?

Did he write every week of the year or only in the chess season? If the latter, for approximately how long did he break off each summer?

I should declare a personal interest in the answer, having written my Guardian column for more than 53 years without having missed a week.....

[Michele Clack]

Hi Leonard

Ray Collett, who is a member of this forum, could probably tell you. Another person who might be able to help is Bert Foord. If you type Worcestershire Chess Association into google you will be able to find the website with contact details for them.

Michele Clack
Redditch Chess Club

[JustinHorton]

Try here

[Leonard Barden]

I was rather hoping that somebody from Worcs would reply here, since the matter (possible world record) should be of general interest. I've contacted Andrew Farthing who is a Worcs member of this Forum and he has promised to ask around.

[Carl Hibbard]

I was rather hoping that somebody from Worcs would reply here, since the matter (possible world record) should be of general interest. I've contacted Andrew Farthing who is a Worcs member of this Forum and he has promised to ask around.

Yes better here - anything that increases the number of members is to be welcomed

[raycollett]

Leonard, Sorry for this late reply (I'd attempted to post something a month ago, but obviously mucked it up :oops:). Your record is safe! Tom Widdows' column during the time I have lived in Worcester, last 25 years. was periodic during the season. It reported on local matches of Worcestershire CA, Worcester & District League, and Worcester & District Chess League. I cannot recall having seen a game score, but I do have one or two examples of scores from the paper in the 60s. I can let you have more information if you contact me via the adress given in the Year Book p31. Ray Collett

[Leonard Barden]

I'd already worked that out from the Worcester Evening News website, which has all the Widdows chess columns since 2000. My conclusion was that he took a break of around six weeks every summer. Allowing for this, he would actually have clocked up around 54 years of (broken) columns. As I stated on the Happy birthday, Leonard thread, I consider the world record holder to be Herman Helms in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, who wrote for 61 years with a three-year break, so around 58 years. My own Guardian and Evening Standard columns have never had a break and are currently respectively at 54 years and 53.2 years not out.

[raycollett]

Leonard, The Worcester News website has been re-organised and I think there is none of Tom's archive material now. Your estimate of Tom's activities fits my perceptions. I may come back to you if you have copies of Tom's files archived. Best wishes Ray

[Leonard Barden]

Sorry, I didn't download any of the Widdows material.