A FORMER reporter and sub-editor described as "journalistic James Herriot" has died aged 84.

The son of a journalist, Angus Stewart Goodfellow was also an enthusiast for local history and his community.

Born in Beckenham, Kent, he attended Whitgift Middle School, Croydon, where he was school captain, played rugby for the first XV team and captained the second cricket XI team.

He then went to Hull University, were he founded the university's golf club and met his wife-to-be Brenda.

He entered journalism in 1952 as a trainee district reporter with the Thirsk, Bedale and Northallerton Times.

In 1956 he was appointed to cover Richmond as district reporter for The Northern Echo and the Darlington and Stockton Times, covering the Richmond and Swaledale district for 22 years.

He then moved to the Darlington head office where he was sub-editor on The Northern Echo for 12 years, six of them as deputy chief sub-editor. He retired in 1990.

A former chairman of Richmond Round Table, he was also chairman and secretary of Richmond Probus Club.

He was involved in the running of the Richmondshire Museum and was a life-long golfer, being a member of Richmond Golf Club.

His son John Goodfellow said some of his earliest memories were of going with his father to Swaledale agricultural shows.

He said: “I used to think of him as a sort of journalistic James Herriot – he was brought up in London but he was embraced by the local communities, and was taught by farmers how to tell the difference between male and female sheep.

“He was a hugely keen golfer – which came from his dad who was the golf correspondent for the Evening Standard.

“He taught me to play when I was about 12, and he would regularly play at Richmond Golf Club.”

Mr Goodfellow, who died on Saturday (January 11), also had a love of drama that saw him get involved in comedy sketch show Olla Podrida that performed at Richmond’s Georgian Theatre Royal several times in the 1960s.

He was also instrumental in organising a celebration of the 900th anniversary of Richmond Castle in 1971, after discovering the milestone was approaching.

He is survived by his wife Brenda, two sons John and Simon, and grand-daughter Molly.

A funeral will be held at St Agatha's, Gilling West, on Wednesday, January 22 at 1.30pm.