Dave Betts: 'Attention all desks. Attention all desks. The building is on fire'

One story about Dave Betts you won't have: Dave was Filing Editor on the World Desk the night the heritage-listed Edwin Lutyens building caught fire. Dave picked up the microphone always by the side of the Filing Editor for major breaking stories and said: "Attention all Desks. Attention all desks. The building is on fire - so you should evacuate now so you don't get killed in the crush later!" Jack Allen, the famous older correspondent with a score of sharp pencils in his jacket's handkerchief pocket, was Copytaster and I was sitting opposite him and on Dave's left as Quick Sub. Jack always called me "Johnny" for some unknown reason and when I stood to go he said: "Sit down Johnny. We're not going to let a fire stop the Reuters service - Reuters never stops!”

"Well how long are we gonna wait, Jack?" I said.

"Johnny, you and I are going to be sitting here until the flames are licking around our arseholes.”

As the final telex operator went to leave, Jack told him to wait - and sat at the typewriter to compose a very long note "To All Reuters subscribers..." saying "there may be a brief interruption to our service because the building is on fire". The telex operator then had to stay and transmit it and he must have been very nervous because it was so full of mistakes it was barely readable. Then a couple of firemen in helmets burst through the doors to the editorial floor and ordered us all out through the building at the back. ■