Simon Rodway obituary

My friend Simon Rodway, who has died of cancer aged 65, was an advertising copywriter who changed direction in mid-life to become a tourist guide in London. Simon managed to combine a keen interest in British history and the royal family with impeccable leftwing credentials.

Simon was born in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of Haydn Rodway, a concert pianist and accountant, and Meg, a child vaudeville star turned typist. He spent much of his childhood marshalling friends to re-enact Roman battles with Plasticine figures on manicured suburban lawns. After attending Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland, he became an advertising copywriter for a commercial radio station in Auckland, but decided to head for London at the age of 25.