Reporter’s Notebook: Remembering Baz Davies a great newsman and friend

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Hong Kong demonstrators wear face masks in defiance of ban

Greg Palkot reports on the latest news from Hong Kong in report produced by Baz Davies.

This is one for the folks you don’t see on Fox News, but who helps to get the journalism out there, behind the camera, behind the scenes, never tiring.  

In particular, I’m referring to a man named Baz Davies (Barry-John Davies). For years, he was a top-notch video editor and then a wide-ranging producer for us at the Fox News London bureau.    

Baz passed away at the age of 46. Cancer brought him down. It was a tough yearslong fight which he waged as he did everything … with spirit and determination. 

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Fox News London bureau producer Baz Davies, left, in Lyon, France. (Greg Palkot/Fox News)

We first worked together in the field in 2012, when we got an overnight surprise invitation to go to North Korea to see Kim Jong Un officially made leader. Our regular cameramen were away, and so I turned to Baz, who had worked as a satellite dish operator before Fox News. On the flight over, I turned to him and said, “By the way, have you used a camera before?”  “Not really,” he replied, “but I’ll wing it.” And he did…very well, even when our tripod got lost at the airport.

Our follow-up assignment was covering a high school prom in a London suburb, reporting on the American institution’s transplant over here. 

As you can see, he worked with us, in fact, on the widest range of stories possible.  

In Ukraine, both in the cities of Kyiv and Lviv, through some very hard times for the country … and for Fox News. 

Baz Davies, left, in Hong Kong covering pro-democracy protests. (Greg Palkot/Fox News)

During the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong when the air was full of rancid tear gas and hurling brickbats. 

On the border with Hungary as officials tangled with their own immigration crisis. 

In France for some embattled presidential elections and some raucous celebrations at the women’s World Cup final. 

The terror attacks that left their trail through France, Belgium and the rest of Europe. 

In Sweden sorting out the mystery of hacker Julian Assange’s past.

At Normandy for moving meetings with courageous veterans of D-Day.

In London for round after round of the U.K.’s Brexit battle to leave the European Union. 

Baz Davies, center, with Greg Palkot, left, and the late Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski.

Baz was warm and funny, a lover of life and people. He enjoyed working with others, was always there with a helping hand … and a quip.  

He was an expert on food and enjoyed the chance to order sushi from the hotel’s room service menu. 

He adored a good political debate … often squaring-off with the members of the bureau.  

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Baz Davies, right, with Greg Palkot in London. (Greg Palkot/Fox News)

He cherished music. We attended concerts together. He hated U2. I am witness to him getting right the opening riff of Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” on an electric keyboard at work.

In fact, it was at Glastonbury, a semi-annual Woodstock-like music festival here in England, where, very romantically, he met the woman who would become his dear wife, Sarah. 

He loved very much the family they would build. Sarah and Baz had two very cute boys, Rex and Ned. They carved out a beautiful life together in a very pretty house in Cornwall, a seaside area of England. Also, a five-hour drive from London which made for some challenging commutes at the beginning and end of each week.

Baz Davies seen here in Lyon, France, enjoying a steak.

He was a brave man. When he got his cancer diagnosis, he took the challenge on in full, enduring tough operations as well as treatments, using Instagram to get his message about the terrible disease out there to the wider public, as his caring wife Sarah saw to all the challenges of his disability. 

Just over a week ago was the last time we saw Baz. London Bureau Chief Dragan Petrovic and I went down to Cornwall. It had been a while since we last saw him and the disease had taken its toll. Baz was barely able to walk and stay awake while we were with him.

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Baz Davies and the team in Hong Kong covering the pro-democracy protests.

But he said something very important when we were there. That he had to make each day count. That he couldn’t waste a moment of the time he had left.  At that point, it was clear that he knew there wouldn’t be much time. 

After a few hours, he told us he had to go upstairs and take a nap. I hugged him. Dragan helped him into his bed. As we bade goodbye to a sweet, talented and funny friend. Rest in peace Baz.   

Greg Palkot currently serves as a London-based senior foreign affairs correspondent for Fox News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in 1998 as a correspondent. Follow him on Twitter@GregPalkot.