Barry May - Suave and selfless

Barry May was the epitome of suave but humble with it.  When he began to share the news that his cancer had returned, I wrote to remind him of the impression a very dapper, sophisticated political correspondent had on a rather insecure new recruit when he would saunter into the London bureau every now and then in the early 1980s to share intriguing and entertaining tales from the UK parliamentary lobby.  From his response, he was genuinely taken aback that anyone would look up to him. 

 

As the tributes to Barry on The Baron show, he did so much to keep our former employer on the (somewhat) straight and narrow.  It was an enormous labour of love for his colleagues and his home in journalism. He has a most worthy successor in Barry Moody.