Tributes have been paid to a news photographer and former Chideock resident who has died.

Ron Boshier, described as a ‘heavy duty worker’ and a ‘warm and caring person’, spent more than three decades of his life revolutionising the photography department of his hometown paper, the Basingstoke Gazette.

He retired in 1980 and moved to Chideock – but he couldn’t stay out of the game for long, as he was soon helping out at the Dorset Echo's sister paper the Bridport News.

He covered a number of local events and news stories, including Bridport Carnival. In later years he moved back to Hampshire.

Mr Boshier passed away on January 12 at the age of 95 after contracting Covid-19. He was among 22 residents of a care home in Basingstoke who sadly died following a major outbreak.

Dorset Echo:

Ron Boshier

Mr Boshier worked as a draughtsman then joined the Army before joining the Basingstoke Gazette in 1949, then known as the Hants & Berks Gazette. His 31-year career there saw him become Picture Editor.

He designed the paper’s photographic offices and his team had a first-class reputation for competition-winning news pictures.

Paying tribute, his youngest son David said: “He was a bit of a charmer. He was very professional and was definitely a family man but his life was The Gazette. Whether he was out doing stuff or developing things, he was a Gazette man.”

“He enjoyed dancing and teaching, he was mainly a good father and a heavy duty worker.”

Away from work, Mr Boshier was a keen dancer and taught many people to dance.

His team competed on Come Dancing – the forerunner to today’s Strictly – and appeared in the first of the series’ shows broadcast in colour on BBC TV.

Mr Boshier was married to Christine. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Former Bridport News Editor Margery Hookings said: “Ron was an old pro when it came to press photography, having spent years at the Basingstoke Gazette before retiring to West Dorset with his late wife, Chris. It wasn’t long before he was doing work for the Bridport News on a freelance basis. He became a well-known and well-liked figure locally, covering events such as sports matches, village fetes, golden wedding celebrations, road traffic accidents - all the kind of photo jobs that are the staple diet of a good, community-based newspaper. He was always reliable and very loyal to the paper.”

She added: “Ron was one of those people who had a story to tell about everything and he’d been there and done that. The thing with Ron was that he actually had been there and done that. He knew lots of people and he’d done lots of things, and, more often than not, at a highly proficient level. He was a warm, caring person and very funny.”

His funeral was held on February 12 at St Michael’s Church, Basingstoke.