Miss Drayton / Diana / Di

I joined Reuters in 1966 as a temporary secretary in the General Manager’s office, I left the same year as Di in 1988.

We junior secretaries began, very correctly, to call her Miss Drayton, and a process followed (NOT as Michael Nelson says of the ‘mothering’ of secretaries) but much more that she was an exemplar by her presence, her composure under hectic and pressurised work conditions, her sheer professionalism and her generosity in guiding and showing younger secretaries how to arrange matters the Reuters way and how to be their best selves.

She was an inspiration in the best sense and I am hugely grateful to have worked with her and learned from her.

So Miss Drayton became Diana as I progressed through Reuters from secretary into management.

Somehow, by her integrity, her strength of character, her innate generosity of spirit, she survived the slings and arrows of management putsches and sailed through to calmer waters. She was a constant in tough times and how that was appreciated!

In recent times Diana became Di - we had many happy conversations ranging from world affairs (always important), to family matters and how was Budleigh (our dog), little on health itself.

Memorably Penny Watson and I took Di out for a birthday lunch this year. A wonderfully warm and happy occasion in which we spoke of past times at Reuters, an affection and loyalty which we all shared and Di never lost. ■