The Mackenzie sisters interviewing their father Colin Mackenzie about his book 'Pressing My Luck' Part 2.

Cate, Georgia, and Tara talking to dad Colin Mackenzie about his adventures around the world, including the biggest scoop of all, Ronnie Biggs.

Just 31 when he delivered the finest scoop of his career, Colin Mackenzie had already interviewed some of the world’s most important and fascinating figures. He had grilled Margaret Thatcher, Richard Nixon, President Nicolae Ceausescu, actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, the Led Zeppelin band and many more.

His location of Ronnie Biggs and his lotus-eating existence in far off Rio de Janeiro was recently nominated as one of the best ten scoops of the 20th century by the UK Press Gazette, Fleet Street’s trade magazine. This one story elevated the Daily Express circulation above the critical four million mark in 1974. In the pre digital world described in detail in this fascinating account, this was no easy accomplishment.  Mackenzie lovingly recreates for the reader a clubbable Fleet Street which, sadly, no longer exists as newspapers, battling for survival in a computerised world, have moved offices to the outer boroughs of London. “The Street of Shame” as Private Eye characterised the newspaper world of the Sixties and Seventies, is no more. Today, politicians, top sports stars, and celebrities, employ teams of public relations and protection employees to ward off the attention of journalists. In 1964, Mackenzie got through to former Prime Minister Harold MacMillan with one phone call.  Throughout his career, Mackenzie entertained a love of the Sport of Kings, owning small shares in racehorses that challenged his financial resources and yet provided adrenalin pumping excitement. In 1985 he was invited to be a founder reporter on the Racing Post, a new racing daily. From there he rejoined the Daily Mail to become, after 20 years, the doyen of racing correspondents. In this role he rubbed shoulders with the Queen, the Queen Mother, Princess Anne, the Aga Khan and Sir Alex Ferguson.

This riveting memoir uncovers the many other great stories that Mackenzie delivered to his employers and to his readers. Some are hilarious, some are shocking, and some just amazing. www.colinmackenziejournalist.com