Charles Duncan

Posted: January 16th, 2021

CHARLES DUNCAN, a remarkably popular senior editorial executive on the Daily Record and Sunday Mail for more than 30 years, has died, aged 77.

He was night editor of the Record for most of that time, later serving as editor of the Scottish Daily Mirror and launch editor of the weekly The Glaswegian. He was a big man in every way – the most common phrase in tributes from friends and ex-colleagues has been “larger than life”.

In his later years, he suffered a number of serious health setbacks, including the amputation of a foot, but made a series of surprising recoveries. He died on January 16 [2021], only two days after being admitted to a hospice.

A native of Aberdeen, Charles began in journalism on the Press and Journal before moving to the Record in 1964, where he rose quickly through the sub-editing ranks. As night editor, he was renowned for his news sense and lay-out and artistic skills, and his ability in major news breaks to take the paper apart and create a new edition.

An avid angler, he had a beat on the River Tay and a holiday home on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Among tributes from ex-colleagues:

Anna Smith, former chief reporter of the Daily Record: “My abiding memory of Charlie is the big, larger than life figure striding the editorial floor, changing pages, issuing orders, and totally in control when a big story was on the go.

“He was a towering figure to me, and so kind, too, to a young reporter. And on Christmas Day when we all struggled into work, Charlie was there, kilt on, with the best food and drink laid out on a cold buffet.

“For me, as a young reporter stepping into this world, it was a joy and mesmerising. RIP Charlie.”

Tom Brown, who worked on the Record backbench with Charles: “He’ll be remembered by a great number of fellow-journalists as an exceptional professional, the best of colleagues and a convivial companion.”

Charles is survived by his wife Olive, sons Charles and Brodie, and grandchildren Emma and Charlie.