Remarkable career of Midlands journalist Shirley Tart

Shirley Tart, who died peacefully at home on Christmas Day, was one of those who helped set up the Express & Star's sister paper, the Shropshire Star.

She reported on the county she loved so much and took leadership roles at Hope House Hospice, Shropshire Girl Guiding and at Ironbridge Gorge Museum.

Shirley also proudly served as deputy lord lieutenant and was awarded an MBE in 2005 for services to newspapers.

Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright said: “Shirley was a remarkable journalist who enjoyed an extraordinary career. To have worked in the industry for more than 60 years is a huge achievement. She will be sorely missed.”

A charity boss has said Shropshire journalist Shirley Tart, who has died, was "hugely instrumental" in the launch of a children's hospice

It came as tributes poured in from around the county for the former Shropshire Star journalist.

Shirley, who died peacefully at home on Christmas Day, was one of a small group of devoted people who launched the Hope House charity in 1991, with the ambition of raising £1.5 million to build the hospice in Oswestry.

She used her platform as a highly respected writer to spread the word and gather support, and was a patron of the charity since the hospice officially opened in 1995.

In a feature Shirley penned about Hope House on its 21st anniversary, she said: “During those early days at the beginning of the 1990s, I was so fortunate to be part of the wider team which was committed to a children's hospice and we at the Shropshire Star ran a programme of stories, information, events and so on which the newspaper was proud to feature.

“For me, of all the fantastic experiences in which I've been so fortunate to be involved over more than 50 years, this one has been the greatest privilege of all and still is. It was indeed very humbling to be appointed one of the charity's early patrons.”

She was known as an incredible ‘hands on’ ambassador, visiting Hope House many times, where she had an instant and close rapport with both children and families. She was also a keen supporter of charity events in aid of the hospice across the region and beyond.

In 2005, for the charity's 10th anniversary, Shirley wrote and published a special book ‘Coming Home – the Hope House Story’. She spent many happy days signing books at Hope House shops and enjoying chatting to the supporters and fans who rushed to buy copies and raise more money to fund the hospice's vital services.

In 2007, she launched a Golden Years appeal to celebrate her 50 years in the newspaper industry with a year of fundraising for two charities very dear to her – Hope House and the Severn Hospice. A whirlwind of events including garden parties and concerts saw Shirley and her friends raise an incredible £32,000 to help the two charities.

Shirley’s unstinting support continued through the charity's appeal to raise the funds to build Tŷ Gobaith in North Wales, and through its 21st Birthday year in 2016, where she led a year of fundraising once again in the Shropshire Star and was Guest of Honour at the Birthday Ball at the British Ironworks Centre.

Just last October Shirley was presented with an award to mark the incredible 30 years she had devoted to volunteering for Hope House.

Andy Goldsmith, chief executive of the charity, said: "Shirley was with Hope House from the very start and was hugely instrumental in rallying support for the idea of a children’s hospice to serve our region. She has been an influential patron, a hard-working ambassador and a true and loyal friend to Hope House, publicising our work and even writing a book about us.

“Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.”

The vice chair of the charity's board of trustees, Barbara Evans, who was also part of the 1991 founding group and worked closely with Shirley for three decades, said: “Shirley will be sorely missed by everyone at Hope House, from the children and families, to the staff, volunteers and the board of trustees.”

Tireless in her work and keen to help others

Shirley Tart was the life and soul of the Shropshire Star.

Her experience and wisdom were invaluable. She had unrivalled contacts throughout the county and she was respected by all. She worked tirelessly to improve the lot of charities, both through her work for the Star and by dedicating her own time. She loved tennis, and for many years provided a daily column from Wimbledon.

She was respected by all she worked with, and loved helping to mentor younger reporters.

Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright said: “Shirley was a remarkable journalist who enjoyed an extraordinary career.

“To have worked in the industry for more than 60 years is an achievement in itself, but to have retained such enthusiasm and passion for the industry throughout is what really set Shirley apart. To have worked alongside Shirley for nearly 10 years was a real privilege.

“Shirley also worked tirelessly for good causes, and in particular for Hope House Children’s Hospice. She will be sorely missed by everyone at the Midland News Association and by many, many people in the wider community.”

Remembering a good mentor, colleague and friend

By Sharon Walters, who worked with Shirley for 40 years.

It is often said that you should keep tributes short and to the point. But... how difficult to do that for Shirley Tart.

A woman who achieved so much in her career and as a caring person. And as a good mentor, colleague and friend to me for more than 40 years.

I will try to encapsulate what she meant to so many people and to me on a personal level.

She was always there to offer advice to young people in the newspaper business and help them on their way, as she did to me when I took my first step on the ladder in journalism.

When I had problems, both professional and personally, she would listen, gently.

I often heard her asking the young people coming through the editorial team how they were, genuinely interested in them. Not just a throwaway comment.

She did so much for the community and in particular as a strong supporter of and a patron for Hope House, her work for charities was astounding. Too many to list here. Her efforts to help others were bottomless.

Above all her religious beliefs held her strong in a world which has always thrown tidal waves at humanity.

We worked together on many projects and I was particularly honoured when she invited me, as her guest, to Whitehall to the commemoration of the Monument to the Women of World War II

It was then that I realised just how much her influence spread across the country.

We made the journey just three days after the terrorist attacks on London in 2005 which left 56 dead and many others badly wounded. Office colleagues were amazed we were still going. She was not going to be deterred from the ceremony in Whitehall by killers, and that made me as defiant.

Needless to say, I was brimming with emotion as the great and good gathered around the wonderful monument to the often forgotten women of those dark days when we battled fascism and a bullying killer leader. Just as the Ukrainians today are battling a killer leader hell-bent on taking over their country – a battle which Shirley was so passionate about supporting even as she became so ill.

It was a day in which I saw ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher greet her by her Christian name along with so many other former prime ministers and politicians, including former speaker of the House of Commons Baroness Betty Boothroyd, Tony Blair and John Major.

I thank you for our friendship Shirley.

Lord lieutenant pays warm tribute to ‘icon’

King Charles’ representative in Shropshire paid tribute to Shirley Tart’s “encyclopaedic” knowledge of the Royal family, and her great kindness.

Shirley had a strong connection to the Royal Family as the Shropshire Star’s royal correspondent and as a former deputy lieutenant for the county.

Anna Turner, Lord Lieutenant for Shropshire, knew first hand how important the royals were to Shirley, and was able to tap into her vast knowledge on several occasions.

“She had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Royal Family,” she said. “She will have forgotten more about the Royal Family than I will ever remember. She was so kind. I shall miss her support and advice a lot. She was just so generous with her advice, and she had a great sense of humour.”

Mrs Turner was appointed the county’s first female Lord Lieutenant in 2019, having previously served as a deputy lieutenant and High Sheriff for the county. And having Shirley’s help to call on has helped her be successful in those roles.

She said: “She was an icon of the Shropshire Star. Being the Royal correspondent meant she had an in-depth knowledge of the whole family. They were very important to her and she liked to get things right.

“If I ever needed to write something or if I needed to know something, she had knowledge going back for years.She could remember details from many years ago. She was always happy to give me a little bit of advice on somebody or something. Her knowledge of people across Shropshire was wide.”

Shirley 'was someone who really did care'

A leader in the Girlguiding movement in Shropshire remembers Shirley Tart as someone who “stood out as someone who really did care”, writes David Tooley.

Clare Shinton is now the regional chief commissioner for Girlguiding in the Midlands but met her many times in her role of county commissioner in Shropshire for five years from 2014.

“I met Shirley throughout my five years as county commissioner,” said Clare. “She was a very big advocate of girl guiding in the county as one of our vice presidents.

“What I remember in particular was in 2020 which was the centenary of Girlguiding and Shirley wrote a really big article about the movement. She took the girls to Attingham Park to look through the archives.

“It was a lovely article and really showcased the importance of the strength of the movement and how it is relevant to girls today. She really captured that in her article.”

She added: “I remember her as having a very dry sense of humour and a very upright lady, someone who I could very much see as a royal reporter. She knew all about the ceremonial aspects, and she was very interested in what the girls were doing.

“She had a very strong sense of community and I would meet her two or three times a year in her role of vice president.

"Her role as vice president was to raise our profile and she did that.

“She will be very sadly missed - she was a joy to be around and really stood out as someone who really did care.”