Dear bicycle memories

During the subsidy period, cars were a luxury, motorbikes were extremely rare, and bicycles became the means of transport for reporters to sneak into every alley and village to collect information.

Every time he reads Hai Duong Newspaper, journalist Vu Dinh Khan, former Editor-in-Chief of Hai Hung Newspaper, Hai Duong Newspaper remembers beautiful memories of working by bicycle.

Not just a regular means of transportation, in the memories of veteran journalists, the bicycle is also a companion witnessing the ups and downs of their reporting journey.

Journalist Tieu Ha Minh (born in 1949), former Deputy Director of Hai Duong Radio and Television Station (now Hai Duong Newspaper and Radio and Television Station) is one of the journalists of Hai Duong who has spent a long time using a bicycle during his work. According to him, in the years after 1975, the country was unified, and economic life was still difficult. Therefore, at that time, reporters who had bicycles to go to work were considered very luxurious.

In 1977, Mr. Minh worked at Hai Hung Provincial Radio Station, assigned to propagate agricultural production and distribution. The large area included the two provinces of Hai Duong and Hung Yen, so going to the base for 2-3 days was normal.

“There were days when the tire was broken and made a screeching sound, so we had to wrap it up with rubber or put another broken tire outside. It was hot and sunny, and I was sweating profusely. I always had to carry a stick with me in case the chain slipped so I could pry it back in so I wouldn’t get my hands dirty. Every pair of pants had the chain bitten into the hem, we jokingly called them toad-bitten pants. During the day, we were working hard, but at night, we worked tirelessly writing articles,” journalist Tieu Ha Minh shared.

Journalist Dang Thi Anh (born in 1949), a seasoned journalist of Hai Hung Newspaper and Hai Duong Newspaper (now Hai Duong Radio and Television) said that since childhood she has been fascinated by newspaper pages and news. That was the invisible thread that led her to journalism.

In 1973, after graduating from the Central Propaganda School (now the Academy of Journalism and Propaganda), Ms. Anh worked at Hai Hung Newspaper and stayed with the newspaper until her retirement in 2004. At that time, the editorial office had few people. She was assigned to promote mass organizations, the Fatherland Front, and then the health and education sectors. Although she has been retired for more than 20 years, Ms. Anh is still moved and full of emotions when recounting the years of hard work and difficulties when traveling to work by bicycle.

To report on time, there were days when she had to wake up at 4am to cycle. There were times when the work location was further away, so Ms. Anh had to leave the previous afternoon and sleep at a local's house to work the next morning. Many times, while on the road, the bike suddenly "fell ill" and ran out of air, the tire blew out, and the chain broke. At that time, the only way was to push the bike. "There were days when it rained heavily, the road was muddy, the mud was up to half the wheel, I couldn't pedal, so I had to carry the bike. There were days when I went to work completely soaked, my clothes were covered in mud," Ms. Anh recalled.

According to journalist Vu Dinh Khan, former Editor-in-Chief of Hai Hung Newspaper, Hai Duong Newspaper, he "used to do all the work of the newspaper". In 1967, Hai Duong Newspaper had just evacuated to Phuong Hung Commune (now Gia Loc Town), he did the job of correcting printing errors. At that time, the printing house was still located in Ngoc Son Commune, Tu Ky (now Hai Duong City), about 7 km from Phuong Hung Commune. The newspaper was published twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday. So, on Tuesday and Friday nights, after cycling from Phuong Hung to Ngoc Son, he would have to sleep there to correct the printing, waiting for the newspaper to be published the next morning to bring it back to the office. There were rainy days, the dirt road was slippery, the dirt wrapped around the heavy wheels, he had to brace himself and find every way to protect the manuscript from getting wet.

Mr. Khan recalls that he rode his bicycle to work until the tires were worn out and had to be wrapped in rubber, but every time they broke down, he had to repair them so he could continue on his journey the next day. Those hardships were always the motivation for him to strive and complete all his tasks as a writer.

Journalist Tieu Ha Minh still reads books and newspapers regularly after retirement.

One of the memorable memories during journalist Tieu Ha Minh's time cycling to work was the time he and journalists Tran Luu Loat and Vu Tuan Nghia went to Doan Ket commune (Thanh Mien) to write articles against negativity. They had to go back and forth between Doan Ket commune and Thanh Mien town to work with the commune, then with the district. Fearing that eating lunch at the commune would lead to a lack of objectivity when reporting the article, the district leaders asked the journalists to cycle back to the district for lunch, then immediately cycle back to the commune to continue working. Although quite tired, after the trip, they carefully collected documents and wrote a series of investigative articles exposing negative incidents in agricultural production in the locality, which were highly appreciated by the government and public opinion at that time.

The bicycle is not only a means of transportation, but also a witness to many life stories and professional stories of veteran reporters. The bicycle is in the past, but the memories of it, of a difficult time of journalism, are still intact in their hearts. It is the story of a whole generation of journalists, who have silently devoted themselves, bringing information to readers with all their passion and responsibility.

PHAN NGA

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/ky-uc-xe-dap-than-thuong-413770.html