Jack Henry Moore obituary
Jack Henry Moore, who has died aged 73 of liver cancer, knocked on my door in Edinburgh in the early 60s and asked if he could have a job in my theatre, the Traverse. He had read an article in the...
View ArticleJacques Le Goff obituary
Historian who reinterpreted the middle ages as an era of distinctive character and developmentThe French historian Jacques Le Goff, who has died at the age of 90, specialised in the middle ages, which...
View ArticleDuncan Dallas obituary
Communicator of ideas and founder of Café ScientifiqueDuncan Dallas, who has died aged 73, was the founder of Café Scientifique, whose worldwide success has transformed the dissemination of challenging...
View ArticleDavid Kingsley obituary
One of the first spin doctors in British politics, who advised Labour under Harold WilsonWhen Harold Wilson made his dramatic first speech as Labour leader to his party's 1963 annual conference,...
View ArticlePhil Hardy obituary
Influential editor, critic and commentator on the international music businessThe late 1960s and the 70s saw a sea change in media coverage of popular culture, especially cinema and music. Film...
View ArticleJosie Buxton obituary
My friend and colleague Josie Buxton, who has died aged 52 of pancreatic cancer, made the world a better place. Except for short periods in Oxfam's UK headquarters, she spent most of her life working...
View ArticleJoan Spencer obituary
My aunt, Joan Spencer, who has died aged 92, was an inspirational violin teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and a prolific concert performer. She was professor there when I attended the...
View ArticleMichael Schofield obituary
Sociologist and writer influential in social and law reformMichael Schofield, who has died aged 94, was at the centre of social reform in the 1960s and 70s, well known in law pressure groups and, in...
View ArticlePeter Thorne obituary
My father Peter Thorne, who has died aged 90, was a wartime airman who became one of the leading RAF test pilots in the postwar era of British supersonic flight and aerodynamic development.Born in...
View ArticlePaul Bailey on Sue Townsend: 'She believed in good manners and kindness'
In 1988, Alan Bennett, Craig Raine, Christopher Hope, Timothy Mo, Sue Townsend and I were treated to lunch at the Georgian State restaurant in Moscow by the Great Britain-USSR society. The food was...
View ArticleRenate Keeping obituary
My friend Renate Keeping, who has died aged 84, was an inspirational artist, teacher and friend, who used her art to explore ideas and to wrestle with questions about her own life.She was born Renate...
View ArticleGlyn Jones obituary
A chilling performance as the paedophile Sidney Cooke in the BBC's 1994 documentary drama The Lost Boys was the last British television appearance of my friend Glyn Jones, who has died aged 82. His...
View ArticleFred Ho obituary
Jazz saxophonist and composer who identified with the civil rights struggles in AmericaThe American multi-instrumentalist and composer Fred Ho, who has died aged 56 of cancer, rejected the word "jazz"...
View ArticleAlistair MacLeod obituary
Canadian short story writer and novelist inspired by the tough beauty of Cape BretonThe Canadian novelist and short story writer Alistair MacLeod, who has died aged 77, earned a wide, appreciative...
View ArticleJohn Gittus obituary
My partner, John Gittus, who has died aged 74 of complications from a stroke he suffered in 2008, was a dedicated teacher and committed socialist. He was originally from south Wales, where his...
View ArticleJanet Parry obituary
My wife, Janet Parry, who has died of liver cancer aged 58, was executive director of Sheffield Homes, a company set up by the local council to manage social housing. Thanks partly to her hard work, in...
View ArticleStan Bootle obituary
My friend Stan Bootle, who has died aged 84, was really three people in one he was also known as Stan Kelly and Stan Kelly-Bootle.Stan, the son of a plumber, was a star pupil at Liverpool Institute...
View ArticleBill Ash obituary
Second world war Spitfire pilot and PoW who was an inspiration for Steve McQueen's character in The Great EscapeBill Ash was a Spitfire pilot shot down over occupied France in 1942 who went on to make...
View ArticleBrother Cyril obituary
My dear friend Brother Cyril, who has died aged 88, was a loyal member for 62 years of the Congregation of the Brothers of St Francis Xavier and devoted his working life to education and to the...
View ArticleBob Hoskins obituary
Actor associated with tough guy roles, but capable of playing the poodle as well as the pitbull Bob Hoskins: Xan Brooks pays tribute Bob Hoskins: a career in pictures Bob Hoskins: Michael Coveney on...
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