Understanding the French

Helping the British? [Helping the English to understand the French]. I am not sure that was in Jonathan's mind. Surely, he helped the whole world understand the French. I remember as a trainee in the Paris bureau watching him cover the election of Pompidou as President in 1969, eyes glued to the television, fingers rattling over the typewriter at a speed of knots, flicking papers over to the telegraphist, never looking down, never stopping. It was a master class in news agency journalism. At that moment I thought: I want to be able to do that too. I still await my Légion d’Honneur, but I can be patient. ■