For more than three decades, Alan Saunders was a nightly companion to households across the east and north-east of Scotland.
He was part of Grampian Television’s reporting team covering news, events and sport from its Dundee studio.
Alan, who has died aged 82, formed a close working partnership with fellow reporters, first Ron Thompson, and then Craig Millar.
It was Ron who encouraged Alan to make the transition from a print reporter with the Sunday Express in Dundee into television.
That was in 1970 and in the early days, the Grampian Television team would work from an office below the old Angus Hotel in Dundee.
Broadcasting needed a team of up to five people, including an electrician, and recording had to be completed by 4pm so that film could be put on the train to headquarters in Aberdeen.
Throughout his career, Alan was most closely associated with sport and he went on to be one of the presenters of Sports Call on Friday nights, broadcasting from the Aberdeen studio.
He was also a talented sportsman himself; a good footballer in his youth and a formidable golfer throughout his life.
Alan was also known as a gentleman; a journalist who was never heard to swear and a man who despite making thousands of television appearances, still felt the nerves before broadcasts.
He was born in Glasgow in 1939 to John Saunders, a power station operator, and his wife Helen.
Alan had an older brother, Ian, who went on to become editor of The Scotsman.
While he was young, the family moved to Edinburgh and Alan was educated at Portobello High School.
By this time, his brother Ian was working on a magazine in London and Alan was determined to follow him into journalism.
Aged just 15 he paid daily visits to the Daily Record’s branch office in Edinburgh asking for a job. The head of the office eventually gave in and took him on as copy boy.
Alan fitted in his two years of National Service with the RAF and by the late 1950s he was a fully fledged reporter with the Daily Record.
He met his future wife, Margaret, at the dancing at the Cavendish in Edinburgh in 1959 and the couple married at Duddingston Kirk in 1961.
In 1963 he moved to Dundee as a sports reporter with the Daily Record, mainly to cover form team Dundee FC, when Ken Gallagher moved to Glasgow.
Alan and Margaret bought a house in Monifieth in 1966 where sons Keith, Gordon and Brian were raised, and which remained the family home for the rest of their lives.
He later joined the Sunday Express and then in 1970 was persuaded to join the Grampian Television team.
New skills
Margaret said: “There was no training. He just learnt on the job. In those days there would be a cameraman, sound recordist, electrician, often five people on one job and they had to send the film on the train to Aberdeen.
“There were countless highlights in Alan’s career but I do remember he particularly enjoyed interviewing Sammy Davis Junior in Dundee and the jockey-turned-author Dick Francis.
“He loved the variety and I think he covered everything. He went into broadcasting with Grampian when it was fairly new and saw a lot of changes. Latterly from a team of five, it was one reporter and a cameraman.”
Outside work, Alan took part in many oil industry cel-am golf tournaments in Aberdeen and played in many high-profile events, including with 1999 Open winner, Paul Lawrie.
Despite being one of the best-known personalities on television, Alan lacked self confidence.
“He did not believe he was good at anything,” said Margaret. “He was always anxious before he went on television but once he was on he was fine. He was a professional.
“Before events he would write his speech, rehearse and time it but he seldom stuck to it on delivery. He just adapted it to his audience.”
Skilled golfer
Alan played off two and twice made it to the final of the Broughty Golf Club, Monifieth, championship.
He had also played cricket in his younger years, played snooker, bowled and played table tennis into his 60s.
Alan retired aged 62 in 2002 after 32 years with Grampian Television.
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