LETTER TO THE EDITOR: My only meeting with John Dickinson left a lasting impression

I WAS sad to read in the Advertiser (July 28) of the death of former Garnett Dickinson Group and Rotherham Advertiser owner John Dickinson.

I only met Mr Dickinson once but he left a lasting impression. In my role as project officer for the development of Magna I approached a number of local and regional companies to seek their support towards the Borough Council’s efforts to transform the former Templeborough Steelplant into a major tourist attraction. Garnett Dickinson Group responded to the approach and in 1997 I and my colleague Peter Hunter were invited down to Mr Dickinson’s office at the Rotherham Advertiser on Fitzwilliam Road.

It was not often that an approach to a company would result in our being received by the ‘top man’. Even more unusual was the fact that Mr Dickinson and his marketing director Nick Alexander were willing to allocate so much of their valuable time to discussing the concept which the council had developed for Magna. There was none of the arrogance or scepticism which I often encountered, just a warmth and genuine interest in what the council was trying to achieve for the benefit of Rotherham.

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At the time the plans included a strong focus upon showcasing British manufacturing at its best including for instance, the use of Rotherham made engineering steel in the manufacture of car components. This was clearly of interest to John and Nick given their shared interest in motor racing, classic cars and the company’s strong business relationship with Team McLaren.

The outcome of the meeting was that Garnett Dickinson Print sponsored the production of a Christmas card that would be sent to the hundreds of persons, organisations and companies that had voiced their support for the Borough Council’s bid for Millennium Commission National Lottery funds. Whilst the financial cost of this sponsorship might have been relatively small, Garnett Dickinson’s involvement was symbolically very important given that it was one of the first practical demonstrations of support by the local business community. The circulation of the Christmas card contributed to maintaining the interest and involvement of the wide range of supporters of the project.

At the time the council had hoped to broaden and deepen the links with Garnett Dickinson and other local companies. However, following the multi million pound award of National Lottery money to the Magna Project specialist sponsorship consultants based in London were brought in and a different course of action was followed. Sadly this consultancy’s contribution to the success of the project was minimal and its services were soon dispensed with by the Magna Trust but by then the links with Garnett Dickinson and other local companies had been broken.

Ian Hawkridge, Rotherham District Civic Society