Family and friends are mourning the recent death of Town Councillor John Edwards. John had a professional background in journalism, at one time being the Commodities Editor of the Financial Times (which devoted a lengthy obituary to their late Commodities Editor). He also won the prestigious award of Financial Journalist of the Year and was the FT National Union of Journalists' Father of Chapel for several years. Edwards' time as commodities editor brought an appreciation for readers' changing needs that bore fruit in his subsequent FT job. "He was the man who really put the Weekend FT's personal finance coverage on the map," said one editor of that section. John first got involved in local Ross-on-Wye politics in 2007. A friend challenged him to actually stand for the Council rather than just complaining about it. Typically for John, he took up the challenge. He narrowly missed out on being elected to the County Council but was successful in his bid to join the Town Council.

See this week's Ross Gazette for full story.