A beloved character of a Norfolk newsroom, who was devoted to both the pub and the church, has died at the age of 75.
Highly regarded among her former colleagues, Jane Flatt had the ability to regale a tale with an unforgettable wit and humour.
Born Elisabeth Jane Flatt on February 21, 1947, she was the second of six siblings and the eldest of five sisters.
And while she may not have wanted to be a "responsible role model”, she took on the role without complaint.
She grew up with her family in Chingford, Essex, and was sent to a Catholic convent school while her sisters attended both the modern secondary and grammar schools.
Miss Flatt began her media career in her home town working for the Chingford Guardian, but soon after moved to Cambridge for a more independent life working at the Cambridge Evening News.
An adventurous spirit took her all manner of places, including Australia and Israel, but every Christmas without fail she returned home to her mother's house, until her death in the early 1990s.
Miss Flatt also enjoyed time spent in Germany, where she received an award for environmental feature writing.
Putting down roots in Norfolk in 1984, Miss Flatt worked for the Eastern Daily Press as a features writer, having previously worked on a local paper in York, before becoming a news editor and finally sub-editor.
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Former colleagues recalled one occasion when Miss Flatt covered the Royal Norfolk Show dressed head to toe in all her finery before the weather took a turn for the worse and Miss Flatt became drenched through.
They described how she recalled the moment “in her most colourful language”.
Miss Flatt retired during the 2000s and in later life, she lived in Trowse on the outskirts of Norwich.
Her niece and goddaughter, Beth Lyon, said: “She was a devoted participant at the White Horse pub and St Andrew’s Church [both in Trowse] in equal measure.
“Being witty and satirical defined her personality and the way she conducted life; forthright and true, dispensing with unnecessary airs.
“She had interests including English literature and, in later life, comedy and satire. Also, with dedication to home and family, and her ability to sing many hymns in their original German or Latin as well.”
A doughty fighter for journalists, she forged a landmark deal on introducing new technology with her employers, Eastern Counties Newspapers (later Archant) in the late 1980s. As head of the National Union of Journalists' branch, she negiotated a far-reaching deal without compulsory redundancies at both the Norwich, and later the Ipswich publishing centres.
It enabled the company to use the latest computer systems and for journalists to write or input copy directly onto screens. She also persuaded the company to retrain printers as fully-qualified journalists to avoid enforced loss of jobs and improved working conditions for journalists.
A long-serving NUJ member, she frequently attended national conferences and represented the union at regional level.
Miss Flatt, who suffered from immobility and frailty, died in hospital on December 19, 2022.
She leaves behind her brother and sisters, four nieces and a nephew.
- To pay tribute to a loved one, email norfolkobituaries@newsquest.co.uk
- To read all obituaries and tributes join the Facebook group Norfolk's Loved & Lost.
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