WE HAVE USED QUITE A FEW ARTICLES IN THE PAST LIFTED FROM EITHER THE EARLY BH NEWSLETTER, OR THE LATER TABLOID BH NEWS, BUT AS WE ARE IN POSSESSION OF EDDIE HOPES`S COLLECTION OF ALL THE BH NEWS`S FOR THE TIME BEING, AND THERE BEING SO MANY ITEMS IN EACH, WE HAVE DECIDED TO GIVE THEM THEIR OWN CATEGORY, AND PUBLISH ALL THE GOODIES OUT OF EACH EDITION AT ONCE.
First edition of the newspaper came out in Spring 1980, and we are using that edition "BH" logo as a permanent heading for this category. A.D.(Blackie) Blackford was still the editor of course.
Most of the items will be self-explanatory, but where we feel like it, as is our wont, we have added the odd comment. First up is Blackie`s editorial, followed by his list of correspondents…..
……and no edition would be complete without "The Contract World", from that Geordie master of the cutting one-liner, dear Alan Hadwin…..with another regular to-be, Dougie Kemp of GMS, with his round -up of news from around Terex`s adversaries, "Competitive Developments".
Another first was an item from the Chairman, Mr Shapland, and later editions were no different, and along with his missive, is a 1979 order report, and a graph of market income, showing who was, and who wasn`t performing….
..articles from around the world of BH were always a feature, and this edition was no exception..
….did you know that the Titan is still at Sparwood, see an earlier article……below, the "Top Shop", or "Directors Palace" was almost complete, and, as we have said before, about all it completed was the divide between "them & us"…. we liked Palace of Variety soubriquet best….well, there were a couple of comedians who worked there for a season or two ….
…and articles from around the Empire, some well-known, and some not so wellknown names… 
…one of the guys in the Spanish fotos above has been in touch recently, Deiga Jaen Garcia (BH Overseas article), and we sent him our best copy of these images following his request..
..now for the bit that you hated if it wasn`t you, and loved it if it was …… People & Promotions…..surely that was ROBIN T-D wasn`t it ?? Plus a couple of shady characters from HML and some of our Irish friends …..
….and a selection of overseas changes. Now for something completely different, John L Goor, MD of BH Dublin, relates the story of an expedition to rival Thor Heyerdahl….although it`s doubtful the Norwegians had any Guinness on board !! 
Last but one item is a profile of Arthur Ley, known by many, but not us personally, and now retired and living in Billing, Northampton. We did try to encourage him to share some of his African experiences with us last year, but to no avail, and we couldn`t encourage him to come to the Reunion either, so perhaps if any of you out there are in touch with him, you could ask him on our behalf to lend us a story or two !!
Finally, the saddest moment of 1980, coming on the weekend before the JBH Sales School at the John o`Gaunt, Daventry, was the news of the untimely death of George Mitchell, Sales Manager for the northern half of Western Region.
The Duke, as he was known by some, for his slight resemblance to John Wayne, was an old school salesman… if they didn`t go to the pub for a decent lunch, then he left those customers to his foot soldiers, and though this method of selling didn`t please all, it still worked at that time, and George brought home plenty of orders in his day.
His attributes were many, he got on with most people, his ability to wine & dine well (under HK`s initial tuition of course) were legendary, and we must admit, that certain wines, ports, brandys & cheeses have stuck in our memories because of George, and he could open doors that others failed to do, and when he switched from that "posh" Solihull accent he had to broad Brummidge to tell a joke was a big laugh in itself, and many a Company wife will remember being addressed thus…."Hello, Sweetie ".
Alledgedly, George got stressed out that Saturday in the Caerphilly office, role playing for the Sales School on the Monday, according to one of his salesman present, and after getting home afterwards, he died within a few hours. A great loss, the end of a great character.
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