Martin Newman and Joel Taylor

EVERY week I tell you about a colourful character who has helped make this city sing, but let me look inward for Extra’s 1,500th edition – for there has been a whole cast of print buccaneers who have kept the presses rolling here.

Many of you may even remember some of the scribes who have hunted down and told the stories of Westminster for us over the years, but it was a tag-team in the early 2000s who really smashed it.

Harrington is not sure who was the good cop and who was the bad cop, but Martin Newman and Joel Taylor would’ve together made a winning buddy movie.

Tom Foot

Both are excellent journalists and graduated to the nationals. Martin was a success at the Daily Mirror after his moving coverage for us on the horrific death of 12-year-old Diego Pineiro, stabbed to death by a wild “satanist” in Covent Garden in 2000.

Joel has a hard nose for news too and loved political gossip, but he also learned Soho like the back of his hand – and could pick up some great yarns just by stopping into the Coach and Horses pub. Remember, every stranger has a story to share, you just haven’t talked to them yet.

The Extra baton has been inherited by many more keen reporters over the years, but is now run under the safe stewardship of Tom Foot. Also the deputy editor at the Camden New Journal, he’s stayed the course, still angry at the right things and perceptively witty too. This newspaper would be lost without him.