By Keith Fort

THE queen isn't the only one celebrating 50 years in her job this year.

In 1952 when Her Majesty came to the throne, I started work too. I have no tours planned.

I can't exactly claim that our careers have followed a similar course -- although, surprisingly, our paths have crossed, if only briefly.

At the time the queen was donning her crown, I was reporting for work as a trainee reporter on an evening newspaper (not this one) having just left school. I was just 16. While the queen was settling behind her desk in the sumptuous surroundings of Buckingham Palace, I was settling into mine in a dusty, Dickensian district office in Burnley, now long demolished, with pigeonhole desk files, wind-up telephones and battered old typewriters.

And so the queen began her half century of reading cabinet papers. I began the daily routine of reading all the national newspapers. I think I had the best deal there.

While the youthful regent and her family sailed and flew round the world touring the Commonwealth, I travelled the furthest in my young life -- to North Wales and the Isle of Wight. It was exciting stuff for me, but the queen might have had the edge there. Of course, there was no Royal Yacht for me, just a rowing boat out of Cowes (which nearly got capsized by a surfacing submarine).

It was the dawn of the television era and, like thousands more, I was able to watch the queen's coronation on a goldfish bowl of a screen with a "snowy" black and white picture that kept revolving -- our first TV.

The queen began her selfless career of royal duties while I began a half century of reporting life as it was lived in East Lancashire. She was able to enjoy family life in homes like Sandringham, Balmoral and Windsor Castle. I had a two-bedroom 1930's semi -- my first house -- and it felt like a palace to me.

I got a taste of how she felt during the Windsor Castle fire -- we suffered a chip pan fire just after I'd done the kitchen. No chance of me looking to the nation. It was roll up your sleeves and do it all again, lad.

I did have to serve two years in Her Majesty's forces but, of course, she never knew about that. The queen has met and had to do business with every Prime Minister since she took over the throne. I met and interviewed just three of them -- Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson (it was a pleasure) and Alec Douglas Home (I didn't envy the queen that pleasure).

I mentioned that our paths had crossed briefly. The queen embarked on a tour of the country in 1954 and I reported on the visit she made to Accrington, my first royal "engagement." The next was in 1977, Silver Jubilee year, and the visit to Burnley for "Operation Springclean."

And, of course, I have met two of the children. The first was by accident when, walking near Gisburn, a rider appeared over a hedgerow and for a brief moment we stared at each other, a brief smile and he galloped off. That was Prince Charles.

The next encounter was over the phone. I was trying to arrange details for coverage of a royal visit and, as usual, all three phones on my busy news desk rang at once.

I told two of them to "hold on" while I had a blazing row with an awkward customer on the third phone. I picked up the second phone, still smarting, and bellowed "Yes" loud enough not to actually need the telephone. Guess who was on the other end? I gather I brightened up the prince's morning considerably.

Then, after helping to raise a lot of money for a children's charity for work in Africa, I was introduced to Princess Anne, a completely forgettable meeting.

But it's been a long and pleasurable half century for both of us, I'm glad to report. And, as the queen announced recently, she intends to carry on.

Our sovereign, like me, cannot retire. That's why I think I've got the best of it now.