January (2004) proved a cruel month for the Association with the loss of our two longest serving members. Following the death of Stan Lincoln, and just days before Stan’s funeral, his friend John Baker also passed away. John was 93 and died at home in Worthing. His last article was the tribute to Stan Lincoln which appeared in the previous newsletter.
John had been a member of the AGW since 1946. The funeral service took place at Worthing Crematorium on January 30. Mark Wilson represented the Association and also provided the following obituary:
“The legendary Bernard Darwin voted John into the AGW in 1946 as he covered a tournament at Southport, and while becoming the oldest and most senior member of the Association in the course of the next 58 years, his great contribution to golf was recognised with the award of Life Membership.
“It was as a general news cub reporter with the Press Association in the early 1930s that John’s journalistic skills, perseverance and interest in golf combined to make his name known. On a visit to Sunningdale, he saw the then Prince of Wales about to play a private match against the American amateur Charles Sweeney. Royal protocol, and bodyguards, prevented him from becoming a lone spectator for the chance to write an exclusive story. On being made aware of John’s disappointment, the Prince offered a compromise. John could write a report providing it was submitted for approval before publication.
“John agreed, and at the finish of the match handed his report, hurriedly written in pencil on notebook paper, to a bodyguard. To his dismay, the Royal party left Sunningdale without giving him back his story or the approval he needed. Two days later, however, on crested paper, beautifully typed, his story was returned to him with Royal approval. It was this act that explained a ritual which later mystified his colleagues. Whenever the Prince was on official duties, and he saw John among the Press Corps, he always made a point of giving him a knowing nod and smile of recognition of a journalist to be trusted.
“World War II interrupted John’s Fleet Street career and he became a fire fighter in East London and the Docks. He survived the most appalling experiences about which he was never willing to talk. ‘Best forgotten,’ he would insist when asked.
“When peace was restored, John returned to Fleet Street and, subsequently joined the Exchange Telegraph news agency. As the growth of golf and the birth of the European Tour commanded more and more of his time, he and Stanley Lincoln, the Press Association golf correspondent, became an inseparable combination, and the most industrious writers in the Press Tent.
“John is survived by Isabel, his wife of 40 years. By a previous marriage he had a daughter, Joan, who lives in Australia, three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.”
Paddy Mearing was also kind enough to send this tribute to John:
“John Baker was a GENTLE-MAN of the old order, polite, dignified and always immaculately dressed. He was also a journalist of the old school, an agency man throughout who was able to turn his hand to most sports.
“I first met John when I joined Extel in 1948 and we remained friends ever since. His last Christmas card was written in the same strong hand that he had sent so many expenses sheets in to me when I was sports editor of Extel. John was originally at the Press Association where his father was in the accounts department and he took over as Extel’s golf man from Jim Chambers. Apart from golf, John was a keen supporter of Leyton Orient where he spent most Saturdays in the winter.
“But it was golf that occupied his life. He was assistant secretary of the AGW under Geoff Cousins after joining the Association in 1946 and most of the old professionals in the 50s and 60s were interviewed by the Agency Twins, John and his PA colleague Stan Lincoln, as they came off the course. The pair will be remembered especially by all the old Irish professionals as the Twins wrote pieces for the Irish Times, Independent and Press in their spare time. Fred Daly, Harry Bradshaw and “The Man Himself” Christy O’Connor would also seek out the Agency Twins to make sure that they had all they needed for the Irish papers.
“Strange that they should die within a short time of each other. I bet John and Stan are up there with their notebooks out and John with his immaculate shorthand interviewing them all as they come off the last green of the heavenly links. Another era has ended.”
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