Death of photographer who went down under

A former Birmingham-born editor of the Stratford-upon-von Herald, who originally started his journalistic career after emigrating to Australia in the 1950s, has died aged 92.

Les Emes (pictured), who was in charge of the weekly publication for a decade was born in Handsworth and lived there up until his 20s, apart from being evacuated during WW2. After serving his National Service in the RAF, Les emigrated to Australia, where he initially started working in the shipping industry.

It was in Brisbane that he met his first wife Barbara and had three children, Lorraine, Terry and Adrianne. It was also in Brisbane that Les started on his journalism career, becoming editor of the Queensland Master Builder magazine.

In 1970s the family returned to England, but instead of flying, Les brought his family to Southampton on a four-week cruise ship travelling half-way around the world. After a short stay in London, the Emes family moved to Wootton Wawen, near Stratford-upon-Avon, bringing Les closer to Birmingham and into the newsroom of the Herald where he had a job as reporter.

He went on to become deputy editor to Harry Pigott-Smith and was later editor himself.  For a short spell during his decade as Herald editor, Les worked alongside his youngest daughter, Adrianne, who followed in her father’s footsteps to become a reporter and would go on to become the title’s news editor.

“There was no other job in his mind than being a journalist,” Adrianne told the Herald.

Les never lost his passion for the city where he grew up and was regularly catching trains and buses to visit Birmingham up until the age of 90.

He also loved the city’s trams and buses – especially those in the old cream and blue livery – and even completed a tram-driver’s course, inspired by his own father worked on the trams.

During one of his visits to Birmingham, on 21 November 1974, he had taken Adrianne to watch Swan Lake. He initially parked by a pub called the Mulberry Bush, but then moved the car at the last minute. A couple of hours later, the pub was one of those destroyed in the Birmingham pub bombings.

In 1976 Barbara left England to return to Australia. Les met and married his second wife, Janette, in the early 1980s. After being widowed he became involved in St Andrew’s Church, Shottery, and was a church warden.

Les is survived by his three children and nine grandchildren.