Prince Charles, who knew Willis through his work with Pride of Britain, said: As The Pride of Britain became an established event, celebrating the great people of this country, Peter always insisted one of my Trusts young people was included. We have lost a bright light. pic.twitter.com/7pBWfllLdH, Simon produced my Radio 1 morning show for many years. Ive explored drug lords ranches for the Washington Post and snapchatted for Matador Network about eating a Swiss cheese sandwich. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one. Peters love of old-school tabloid stunts was legendary. He will be much missed by me and everyone who worked with him. My thoughts and prayers are forever with Nicky and the boys. A man whose warmth and gentle nature were a rarity. International airports in the cities of Zurich, Geneva, and Basel are serviced by multiple airlines, including Swiss. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry. He achieved so much as scoop finder extraordinaire and editor of three national titles in an incredibly varied career. Tributes paid to former Radio 1 Producer Simon Willis I owe him a lot. Columnist Sue Carroll picked a young couple from Exeter who had written in with a touching love story. Rest easy mate., A wonderful and fitting tribute to Pride of Britain founder Peter Willis by @realbritainros and friends https://t.co/Vt5Gw42XfC pic.twitter.com/hk9HwFPYE2, Stewart Morris,a former producer then executive producer of the Pride of Britain Awards who worked closely with Willis, said: The utmost professional, he held his ITV partners to the highest standards which, in turn, made us better at our jobs. Terribly sad news., Former colleague Trevor Dann said: Lovely bloke. This byline is for a different person with the same name. Also a special mention to the Society of American Travel Writers for accepting my membership application. He edited the Daily Mirror and then the Sunday Mirror and Sunday People before becoming group executive editor and director of the Pride of Britain Awards, which he founded, last year. Articles by Simon Williss Profile | AFAR Journalist | Muck Rack Simon Willis | Travel Writer and Journalist WebSimon Willis Contributor, AFAR Medelln Travel As seen in: AFAR, Medium, MSN, The Guardian, Daily Mirror, Financial Times, Nature, 1843, Die Welt, The Economist, Yahoo Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. He was magnetic and when my Fleet Street days were over, I revisited those colourful times often in fond memory. Jonny Bierman, who provided additional reporting, is a Vancouver-based sustainable travel journalist and photographer. Warm summer temperatures reliably lure locals out to bask on lakeshores, traipse through villages, and saunter along meadows and mountain paths. Sri Lanka Cricket has appointed Kent coach Simon Willis to the post of high performance manager. Mirror executive editor and founder of the newspapers Pride of Britain Awards Peter Willis died suddenly on Friday, he was 54. I write for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Afar, Guardian Bradt and Delta simonwillistravels.wordpress.com. Simon He was involved with a series of films Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown, podcast interviews, and a book The Scottish Sea Kayak Trail, Europe's first long distance trail for sea kayakers which he developed. WebCameraman in Scotland, United Kingdom. Find me on The Set on the waterfront of Lake Geneva, this monthlong festival burgeons every year thanks to its delightful ambience, variety of music, and free entry to all but a few concerts. Peter will be sadly missed by all those who knew him.. This is a terrible loss for all those who knew him and a great loss too for the newspaper industry in which he was a giant. Friends and ex-colleagues of former BBC Radio 1 producer, Simon Willis, have been paying tribute to him, following news he passed away this week, following a Switzerland offers much to do year-round, though summer and winter are the most popular seasons to visit. The news was covered by both The Sun and the Mirror on Monday, with a Mirror tribute calling him a man who never understood how loved he was. Award winning travel writer. We went on location trips to Spain and covered the Montreux TV Festival together, working like demons and laughing loud and long into the night. There are some very sore hearts in our industry today. Surgery failed. We launched a massive reader competition in search of a prospective bride and groom totie the knot on Valentines Day 2003. BBC producer Simon Willis has died after being poorly for some time his colleague Zoe Ball, 50, confirmed today. (@lisamarks) June 29, 2021, My days working on the Bizarre desk at The Sun were some of the best days of my life. What a shame. I get moaned at for taking lots of pics. Peter was one of the first people working in Fleet Street I dealt with as a young provincial reporter. Simon Willis Cameraman in Scotland, United Kingdom Hire me. Even before smartphones I took lots of pics. And get celebrities to take a back seat for a change and do the saluting. My husband Steve and Willy. A former travel writer for The Sunday Times and TGO - The Great Outdoors, he is a past winner of the Travelex Award for travel writing. He was my Dr Who husband, Ernie Wise to Steves Eric Morecambe, THE Godfather to our kids ? War reporter finds peace, recovery Can winter sports survive on a warming planet? He was their champion. He truly was the heart and soul of the Mirror office and his loss will be sorely felt by everyone lucky enough to have worked with him. Hire me. Above all, my heart goes out to Nicky and the family. So sweet and kind and generous to all. If you did, hed just keep calling & emailing until you relented. Be it as Santa for the Daily Mirror kids Christmas party or overseeing a page 1 scoop he was brilliant., An exceptional journalist and editor, Peter Willis was also warm and kind. My husband Steve & Willy. Jo Whiley said Simon was the third person in her marriage to her husband Steve: We woke to the news that we have lost our beloved Willy aka Simon Willis and today our family is bereft. He passed away three years later due to complications after surgery. The TV couple, who used to work together on the regional news BBC Newcastle presenter Wendy Gibson has split from her broadcaster husband, Simon Willis. Peter brimmed with energy, wit and fun. Gavin Marshall (@gavinmarshall1) March 3, 2021, Thinking about Simon Willis. https://t.co/OfLuVfjryf, Trevor Dann (@TrevorDann) March 3, 2021, Not a great deal of sleep. Vice News to 'streamline' with 'painful but necessary' job cuts, David Aaronovitch on Substack launch, Times exit and freedom to write about Murdoch, Podcast 44: Life after The Times for David Aaronovitch: Going solo on Substack, Three journalists locked up for covering M25 protest: Herts Police personally apologises, MacKenzie, Murdoch and the hunt for tabloid gold in the digital era, Charging journalists for Twitter would be bad business and a blow to press freedom, Podcast 43: How to build a podcast from scratch with Andrew Harrison of Podmasters, Podcast 42: The future of music journalism with NME Networks Holly Bishop, Editorial standards/Complaints and Corrections, Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent. Ace operator on the road. Funny, incredibly talented and a kind man. He championed me when I was a young reporter shifting on 3am and later when I returned he always made time to chat & reminisce about his own Showbiz days. Ill forever be indebted to these publications for keeping me off the streets:The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Boston Globe, Afar, Bradt Travel Guides, TravelMag, Adventure Cyclist Magazine, Delta Sky Magazine and Matador Network. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Simon Willisand simonwillistravelswith appropriate and specific direction to the original content. We were blessed to have spent many many precious moments with him throughout our lives together and in the recent months and weeks when he was poorly. Im Simon (the one in the hat). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Subscribe to the Daily Wander newsletter. His legacy in creating the Pride of Britain awards will be unmatched. Fighting for quality news media in the digital age. Be it as Santa for the @DailyMirror kids Christmas party or overseeing a page 1 scoop he was brilliant. Many towns play host to a plethora of summer festivals. (LogOut/ I continue to use many of his journalism tips and techniques today. https://t.co/T4wRbWHQDr, Dan Wootton (@danwootton) June 28, 2021. That may sound a bit weak but at his end of The Street it was a rare quality. It became a remarkable phenomenon from day one, but only thanks to Peters extraordinary energy & determination. For adrenaline junkies, the dramatic geography means off-piste skiing, ice climbing, and one of the most renowned ski tours on Earth. BBC trained video journalist / self-shooting AP & Producer. I never did met anyone who knew Nik Kershaws back catalogue like Willy. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Simon is a sports nut, and when he is not adventure-seeking he is following his beloved Barnsley Football Club. And, a talented journalist. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Without his drive, creativity and tenacity, Pride of Britain would never have become the national institution it is today. He was a fabulous, charismatic, extravagant producer. In pic 1 hes in his flat on Grand Parade with a Radio Times. He was a truly nice man. We woke to the news that our beloved Willy aka Simon Willis has left us & we are bereft. I can hardly believe it. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Peter coordinated the whole shebang. Simon Willis Seen here + @Kevin_Maguire + Richard Wallace putting the 4am 2010 general election paper to bed. https://t.co/to7JTxUByK, Heartbroken for his family. Terribly sad news. Many memories. He has contributed to the Washington Post, Independent, Yorkshire Post, Colombia Reports and Argentina Independent, among other publications. Our hearts reach out to his wife Nicky and sons Theo and Henry. Pride of Britain founder and Mirror man A sublime talent taken far too young. Switzerland Travel Guide | AFAR This article "Simon Willis" is from Wikipedia. Simon Willis is a travel writer and freelance journalist flirting with both South America and Europe. In winter, many mountain passes are closed, so those traveling by car should contact Automobile Club der Schweiz before making a journey or better yet, catch the train. And it was the perfect recipe. For some reason the folks at TravelWriting2 wanted to interview meme! He celebrated his 30th/40th and 50th birthday at our home and we had a ridiculous amount of fun. Forbes Switzerlands 26 regions, or cantons, have their own customs, traditions, andin many caseslanguages. Due to its central location, Switzerland is easily accessible from nearly anywhere in Europe. List of former BBC newsreaders and journalists. Me. Switzerlands business ethic is offset every summer by a range of festivals. NZME journalist Simon Wilson. Peter had unbridled enthusiasm for every story he assigned and would give writers full, exacting briefs. There were 3 of us in our marriage. Change). Beware this 'celebrity' bitcoin scam - Which? News Always Another Adventure | videos & podcasts He was a fabulous, charismatic, extravagant producer. M xxx @dullington pic.twitter.com/naibk0O8Dz, Martin Burgess-Moon ?? Simon Willis I was part of a formidable features department he led at the Mirror. We all stood to attention holding rolled up copies of The Mirror like swords at a military wedding. RIP Peter ? Solo yachtie's miracle survival tale. I know that Peter was a much-loved colleague and achieved so much during his career, in particular as the driving force behind the Pride of Britain Awards that have become a national event. Plan routes throughout the country on electric trains powered by renewable energy, hybrid-electric buses, and boats using the SBB Mobile transit app. My deepest and heartfelt condolences go to his family and friends.. Simon Williss Profile | AFAR Journalist | Muck Rack Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. Devastating. If he bumped into members of the RoyalFamily or celebrities anywhere, in any context, his opening gambit was always: I hope well be seeing you at Pride of Britain this year? The sensible ones knew But of course, Peter was the only acceptable response. When Im not pestering poor tortoises, I write about travel. Peter was forever striving for perfection and often achieved it. 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The former BBC Radio 1 Producer, who was also Head of Content at Wisebudah, worked on many national shows including the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show and Simon Mayos morning show. He cared deeply about them and their families. Friends and former colleagues of Simon Willis have been paying tribute to him following news of his passing. People quickly began to share tributes to Willis, a well-known Fleet Street figure, on Twitter and via email to Press Gazette. This was the time when we went to a Chinese restaurant & I got confused and I ordered chicken feet. God, Ill miss him. Willy was a one-off. Previously she spent four years at the Surrey Advertiser and has won prizes including Trainee Journalist of the Year at the NCTJ Awards of Excellence. Thinking of family, friends and my old colleagues at this terrible time., Peter was the heart and soul of the Mirror. BBC trained director & shooter. (@BurgessMoon) March 3, 2021, Your spirit was everything Simon Willis thank you https://t.co/dRsAuq3sYS, Hayley Redmond (@HayleyFudge) March 3, 2021, Simon Willis was the guy who got me into Radio 1 over 20 years ago when he rang me; a nervous but keen student. My thoughts with Nicky and his sons ? Every evening he was driven to make the edition as good as it possibly could be as we went to press. When getting around by vehicle, drivers must purchase a tax disc (vignette), costing 40 Swiss francs (US$45). Sent at around 10am UK time. Hard to believe hes gone. His passion, drive and commitment was proof that perpetual motion is indeed possible. He never shied away from telling the difficult stories of young people who had struggled with drugs, homelessness, imprisonment or mental health issues and managed to turn their lives around. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour three years ago. Switzerland flourishes as a country of innovation and diversity while putting an emphasis on protecting its pristine nature, timeworn architecture, and unique traditions. Mirror tribute calling him a man who never understood how loved he was. As Peters former deputy editor I saw, each day, the kindness, compassion and drive that ran through everything Peter did in life. Some of them require work to reach the reward, while others are a mere tram ride away. Lovely man. Daily Mirror associate editor Kevin Maguire said Willis was a lovely, gentle, funny and fantastic company as well as a great journalist gone far too soon. https://t.co/Wew5zssAIn. Willis The call ended with him regaling me about how he had booked an Elvis impersonator for the Christmas party. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Switzerland is home to a plethora of mountain restaurants with jaw-dropping views. An exceptional journalist and editor, Peter Willis was also warm and kind. The funniest man you could ever meet and anyone who knew him will have their own favourite story to tell about What Willy did, Godammit Willy what are we going to do without you??. WebSimon Wilson Senior Writer Senior Writer, NZ Herald Ive been with the Herald since the start of 2018. Works with leading outdoor brands. He simply never stopped. In the Alps, glitzy ski resorts exhibit fur boots and Ferraris, but there are also family destinations where children master their first snowplow. Paul Vickers (@VickersRichmond) June 28, 2021, Remembering Peter at our WIJ parties always happily chatting away to students and aspiring journalists- full of advice and charm @MirrorAlison https://t.co/K11VN0cpbW, Women in Journalism (@WIJ_UK) June 29, 2021, Genuinely saddened to hear about the passing of Peter Willis, my editor on the Mirror TV mag some 20 years ago now. He WAS the heart of the Mirror and, I believe, exemplified everything that is good about tabloid journalism. BBC trained video journalist / self-shooting AP & Producer. of BBC newsreaders and reporters Of course, his greatest legacy will be Pride of Britain. Thoughts with his family and friends. How he got half the celebrities to turn up for Pride of Britain was always a source of light-hearted speculation but as Peter could charm the skin off a snake, I put it down to that! Simon Willis is a British journalist, and former BBC TV newsreader and reporter. German, French, and Italian influences infuse different regions, and within these, nature-based gastronomy blends sustainable elements of food through locally sourced, farm-to-table ingredients. Simon Willison Data Journalism, The Importance of Side Projects Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Im in bits. My favourite memory of him was calling him from South Africa where I had spent the morning with a baby dying from Aids. When he saw the light and moved to the Mirror, he establishedhimself very quickly as an executive dynamo. News diary 1-7 May: King Charles III crowned, local elections, BBC England strikes, Hugh Grant accuses Sun publisher of unlawful acts including burglaries to order, Vice News to streamline with painful but necessary job cuts, How publishers can address three key online ad revenue challenges, Advertising technology for publishers: Opti Digital increases revenue, Newstech Q&A with Norkon: Live-blogging will move to freemium model. When Im not pestering poor tortoises, I write about travel. The BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show host and her At the forefront is the Montreux Jazz Festival, which pulls in diverse artists from around the world. Ill never forget his smile, charm and great chat. He taught me the basics of editing back in the 90s. The fact that so many of us are still friends today, twenty years on, (and reeling about his death) says a lot about his ability to build, and inspire, a team.