Tiananmen and tea with the chairman

Around the time of the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations and subsequent massacre, then Reuters chairman Christopher Hogg briefly visited Beijing for the chemicals and textile conglomerate Courtaulds of which he was chief executive.

On the Sunday of his stay, he dropped in to the Reuter office just to say hello, as he put it.

We were under very heavy pressure that day, with everyone including non-editorial staff roped in to help with the story. Hogg and I had been contemporaries at school. I knew him quite well and told him I was sorry we were very fraught so could he please wait a while.

Chris nodded, smiled, took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, found a kettle and without a further word made tea for everyone. Then he asked how else he could help. Later there was time and opportunity for a brief chat. ■