My brother in law did a day release course in Wales 45 years ago whilst working as a journo for the local rag, he'd leave in the middle of the night to get there and back in the same day, he had a young baby at the time which was why he had to leave University, and earned less than £10 a week. After ten years at the local rag he did about 15 years for the Press Agency initially on general before spending a long period in the House of Commons (he's taken me there just a couple of times). Since then he's been Assistant Political Editor or Political Editor for at least 3 Daily's rated in the top ten and has won several awards.
I see him a few times a year, we're not politically aligned so to speak but respect each others views. He's interviewed 'Nige' a couple of times and ended up ****ed on both occasions.
He did mention that the 'persona of the bloke in a pub' who people like to ridicule as false is absolutely true, it's the way he is, the funny thing is he acknowledges is that since then, every Politician craves to be photographed with a pint in their hand.
Anyway, bottom line, no degree, basic training, and reached the very top of the game, been on telly a few times, been threatening to retire for a few years now.
PS:
The last time he took me to the HOC Maggie was PM, Ted Heath was on the back benches and Ian Paisley was making a lot of noise in the background, then he took me to a few Fleet Street pubs that had upstairs rooms, frequented by journos who ate no food whatsoever and drank only guinness, it's a strange place.
