Veteran Surrey newspaper proprietor Sir Ray Tindle dies aged 95

The founder of Tindle Newspapers has passed away at the age of 95 following a "lifelong commitment" to the newspaper industry.

A statement of the  Farnham company's website announced the Sir Ray's passing  on Monday at noon and described him as a newspaper man "through-and-through".

Sir Ray stepped down as chairman of Tindle Newspapers when he was 90, remaining as president, with son Owen, who also runs Oxon Hoath country estate in Kent,  taking over.

Sir Ray made the Surrey town of Farnham his home in the 1960s along with his wife Lady Tindle with the two becoming well known throughout the region for their charitable donations. 

No announcement has been made so far about the future ownership direction of Tindle Newspapers however the  UK newspaper industry has seen a number of consolidations in recent years with the industry's larger players  active on the acquisition front.

Newsquest announced in March that it acquired over 100 titles under the Archant umbrella while Reach expanded rapidly in 2018 with the acquisition of the UK publishing assets of Northern & Shell whose assets included the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and OK!.

David Montgomery's National World, who purchased JPIMedia in 2021, have also noted their interesting in acquiring further titles to add to their stable of titles which includes The Scotsman and Yorkshire Post.

Early days

Born in 1926, he was the son of John Robert and Maud Tindle, and was evacuated from London during the war and then educated at the Torquay Boys’ Grammar School.

After leaving school he went on to enlist in the 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, an infantry regiment in the British Army.

He saw service in the Far East between 1944 and 1947, rising to the rank of captain.

Sir Ray began his career in publishing by running a newspaper on the troop ship taking him to the Far East.

After returning to this country Sir Ray acquired his first newspaper title, the Tooting & Balham Gazette, with his £300 demob payment.

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It was to be the first of many and in the coming years, through a series of launches and acquisitions, the group, under the collective banner of Tindle Newspapers Ltd, now owns local papers and radio stations covering large parts of Wales, Surrey, Hampshire, Essex, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Ireland, the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man.

Sir Ray attributed a great deal of the company’s success to the fact it had always remained debt free.

Roles

He retired as chairman of the Surrey Advertiser in 1977 after 35 years and also as a director for 18 years on the main board of The Guardian & Manchester Evening News.

The newspaper veteran was also chairman of the Belfast News Letter, the UK’s oldest provincial daily, for ten years.

He was elected president of the Newspaper Society – the industry’s highest honour – in 1971, and was its honorary treasurer for 14 years. He completed 50 years of involvement with the Newspaper Society in 2002.

Philanthropy

Sir Ray also had a more philanthropic side.

His activities included the creation of ten Business Enterprise Centres at the height of unemployment in the 1980s, mostly in parts of the country where he had his newspapers to help the local community.

These centres operated 100 units providing rent-free premises for out-of-work people trying to start up their own business.

The scheme was highly successful, helping hundreds of unemployed people get off the ground. All the costs were met by Sir Ray himself.

The first Tindle Enterprise Centre was started at Whitehill in 1984 and was officially opened by the-then prime minister Margaret Thatcher the following year. He also founded one of these centres in West Street, Farnham.

Sir Ray is survived by his wife, Lady Tindle, his son Owen and granddaughter Maisy.