THE University of Surrey has conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of the University to Sir Ray Tindle for services to the newspaper industry — Sir Ray is the owner of the Tavistock Times Gazette, Okehampton Times, East Cornwall Times and Princetown Times. The award was made on Thursday, June 19 at Guildford Cathedral. After the second world war, a young Ray Tindle joined his local newspaper in Croydon as what he himself described as 'general dogsbody' — while serving in the war with the Devonshire Regiment, he had already completed his apprenticeship by launching his first title on a troop ship. A print strike in 1950 presented an opportunity for him to widen his experience prior to buying his first paper, the struggling Tooting and Balham Gazette, paid for by his £250 post-war demob payment. Turning its fortunes around, he continued to take on more so-called 'unsaveable' titles, as well as starting up new ones — and so he built the empire that is Tindle Newspapers, based in Farnham, Surrey. The business has grown to include more than 225 printed titles and several radio stations. Sir Ray was awarded his knighthood for services to the newspaper industry in 1994. He was founder of Tindle Enterprise Centres for the Unemployed, is a strong supporter of Frimley Hospital and also set up the Sir Ray Tindle Journalism Scholarships. Sir Ray's involvement with the University of Surrey during the 1960s and 70s was significant and selfless. He was heavily involved with Surrey during its formative years, serving on the university's council and chairing the project planning sub-committee, that oversaw the university's establishment in Guildford.