As well as his other starring roles in Liverpool journalism, Peter Trollope was also, in his 20s, the night news editor of the Liverpool Daily Post, the Echo’s morning sister and then a power in the north-west.
To his skill at instantly spotting stories, marshalling his journalists, and mentoring fumbling trainees of his own age, he also added his own particular genius, which was a little touch of energetic anarchy.
Night shifts on newspapers have their special longueurs, which Peter filled by organising cricket matches with bats and balls constructed, appropriately, from copies of the Daily Post. These sadly ended after a splendid six sailed across the room to land in front of the august chief subeditor on deadline.
But he also had a rare ability to switch from all this to cope instantly with breaking stories. The night Elvis Presley died was a fine example of his gifts operating in concert under pressure. As well as organising coverage, he rattled off a long obituary of the King (it helped he was also the pop music correspondent of the Echo), composing aloud in a bravura performance featuring the triumphant discovery of his key phrase, “From rags to rhinestones! Yes, yes, from rags to rhinestones!”.
