David Robertson

Posted: March 7th, 2020

DAVID ROBERTSON, former Sunday Mail picture editor, and “our stalwart FoC at the worst of times during the Maxwell years”, died on March 5 [2020]. It seems he had been battling sepsis for some years.

Though latterly David served as an “honorary”, in the early days he was an original member of the AMP committee along with the late Harry Conroy. 

David’s funeral is at 1pm on March 16 at Daldowie Crematorium, 17 Hamilton Road, Glasgow G71 7RU.

David joined the Daily Record and Sunday Mail as a photographer in 1969. After several years he became active within the DR&SM NUJ Chapel. He held various positions within the National Union of Journalists in Scotland, as well as becoming Imperial FOC in Anderston Quay.

In 1986 he was FOC of the Chapel when the 200 journalists at the DR&SM voted to strike against Robert Maxwell’s plans for the titles at Anderston Quay; all of the other unions refused to cross the NUJ lines during the dispute.

David became picture editor of the Sunday Mail, but his interest in the Union continued and in 2002 he was made a life member of the NUJ.  Later that year he decided to take early retirement and went to live in the village of Killin, in the heart of the Highlands.

Another honour came David’s way later when he was awarded a Medal of Merit by the Scout Association, for outstanding service. He had been involved with the movement since he joined a group in Falkirk as a nine-year-old.

David’s hobbies included climbing, fishing and golfing, and he undertook a photographic project: “A Year in the life of Killin – A Highland village”.