As a young Wise Word I often went to Wales every Summer to see my Grandparents, I often watched HTV (now known as ITV1 Wales) and the news. I was saddened to find out only in the last few years that one of the newscasters I grew up watching had died. This sad moment in time remembers the late Huw Weekes.
Huw Weekes, who has died aged 43, fronted the nightly news programmes Wales Tonight and Wales At Six on HTV and became one of the company's senior reporters. His interviewing technique won HTV's news programmes a reputation for being well-informed and authoritative.
Born in Newport, Weekes was brought up in Aberdare, the son of a senior National Coal Board official. Fascinated by the power of television, Weekes set his heart on entering the industry. He began his journalistic career aged 18 on the Weston Mercury weekly in Weston-super-Mare and then joined the Evening Post in Bristol. A highly respected hard news man he was professional to his fingertips.
His broadcasting career started as a reporter on BBC Radio Newcastle in 1980. Two years later he joined Yorkshire Television as a sub editor and then made his mark as a presenter for the nightly news magazine Calendar. After a stint at Tyne Tees television, he joined HTV in 1988.
Weekes became the cornerstone of HTV's news operation. He presided over a team of reporters in whom he encouraged the highest standards of diligent, accurate and balanced reporting.
Bespectacled and genial in his screen manner, he brought a dignified delivery to the most trivial of stories. His Welsh accent made no concession to the estuarine cadences now penetrating south Wales - there is still a widespread belief among Welsh viewers that news delivered in a Welsh accent is more credible.
He had a puckish sense of humour and a penchant for telling appalling jokes. His leisure interest was following Cardiff City football club.
The affection in which he was held by colleagues at HTV was apparent when a clearly upset Juliet Piper and Jonathan Hill announced the news of his death: unusually, the BBC Wales Today programme also carried a warm tribute. The circumstances of Weekes' death remain unclear, but are not regarded as suspicious by the police. His body was found on the beach at Boverton, near Llantwit Major.
He leaves a wife, Sue, a son and two daughters.
Huw Weekes, television presenter, born January 22 1957; died January 18 2001
I am sorry bout the quality of the YouTube clip but this is due to the age of which it was originally broadcast and recorded in this case 23 years ago.
This last link is how HTV Wales broke the news