A JOURNALIST who served Wiltshire for more than 70 years has died at the age of 92.

Father-of-three Bob Wise who was married to his wife Elsie for 57 years, was editor of the former Marlborough Times, worked as sub-editor on the Swindon Advertiser and as a racing correspondent and tipster for the Wiltshire Gazette.

His wife and sons were at his bedside when he died at the Miranda nursing home in Royal Wootton Bassett in the early hours of Saturday.

Home for most of his married life was at Upper Churchfields, in Marlborough, where he and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary seven years ago.

He is survived by his widow, three children, Rosalind, Roger and Robin, and by two grandchildren, Cecilia and Samuel.

There will be a burial service for family and close friends only on Tuesday, August 11, at Marlborough Cemetery, in Frees Avenue, followed at 2.30pm by a service of thanksgiving for his life in St Mary’s Church.

Mr Wise was brought up at West Overton, near Marlborough, not far from the famous racing stables at Beckhampton and Manton that were both to feature so largely in his later life.

His family believe his love of racing probably started when a favourite uncle used to let him race snails on their doorstep.

He left Marlborough Grammar School at 16 to be apprenticed as a reporter on the former Marlborough Times.

He was midway through his training when he joined the Home Guard.

Later he was called up into the Royal Air Force and worked in the wireless communications section.

Heis service took him to the Far East and there, by an amazing coincidence, he bumped into his only brother, the late Alan Wise, who died five years ago.

When peace returned in Europe Mr Wise returned to reporting on the local paper.

At the same time he was building up his contacts in the world of racing that enabled him in later life to become a widely respected racing correspondent and tipster.

He changed jobs to work on the Swindon Advertiser and enjoyed the cut and thrust of daily journalism for some years.

He later returned to the Marlborough Times as its editor, a position he held for many years.

He was interested in all aspects of sport and played soccer for his village side as a youngster.

It was while playing tennis on the old grammar school courts in Elcot Lane that he met Elsie.

In later life he became one of the leading snooker players at Marlborough Conservative Club.

Elsie said: “Bob loved all sports but racing was the thing he liked most.”

He wrote a weekly column for the Handicap Book for more than 30 years and, after retiring, he continued to write a weekly racing column for the Wiltshire Gazette until he was well into his 80s.

Retired Gazette & Herald journalist Nigel Kerton, who worked alongside Bob in Marlborough for almost 50 years, said: “Bob was the old-fashioned type of journalist who always had a large network of contacts in every village.

“He always researched his stories thoroughly and was well respected by all who knew him.

“As an editor he encouraged numerous young journalists into their careers and, although I worked on a rival paper, he gave me a lot of help in my early days and we became lasting friends."