In 1921 Stanley Randall joined the employment of William Herbert Root, who produced the Halstead Gazette at the Caxton Works, off Trinity Street, Halstead. He stayed there all of his working life as a journalist and reporter, retiring after 50 years. Stanley did not sit at a desk waiting for the news - he would literallly jump on his bike and pedal off to the local villages in search of interesting stories. On Monday he toured the Hedinghams while Gosfield was his first port of call on Tuesdays follwed by all the villages and hamlets between there and Steeple Bumpstead. Short journies to the Maplesteads, Gestingthorpe, Pebmarsh etc. were made on Wednesday mornings as he had to return to the office to prepare for the printing on Thursdays.
A veteran newspaper man once told him "If you do your job properly young man, you'll end up with hardly a friend". How wrong this man proved to be as Stan did an excellent job and made many friends in all walks of life because he had time for everyone.
