Obituaries

A Barton self-portrait

Les Barton: Cartoonist and illustrator whose work encompassed magazines, newspapers and children's comics

A highly successful and prolific artist, Les Barton was probably best known for his distinctive cartoons for Punch, Private Eye, The Spectator, The Oldie and other publications.

Inside Obituaries

Jack Scott: Old-school weatherman famed for his magnetic symbols

Saturday, 22 November 2008

Jack Scott, who was in the BBC's long line of avuncular yet authoritative weathermen, will always be known as the broadcaster whose magnets could be as unpredictable as the British weather itself. While he was a weatherman in the tradition of old reliables such as Bill Giles, Ian McCaskill and John Kettley, his weather icons sometimes lacked the dependability he exuded himself.

George Jones Jnr: Singer and songwriter who composed the doo-wop classic 'Rama Lama Ding Dong'

Saturday, 22 November 2008

While doo-wop groups barely made an appearance in the British charts in the 1950s, their material provided rich pickings for cover versions throughout the following decades. The irresistible "Rama Lama Ding Dong", written and sung by George Jones Jnr, lead vocalist of the Edsels, was first recorded in 1957 and became a belated hit in the United States for his group in the spring of 1961. Seventeen years later, Rocky Sharpe and the Replays revived "Rama Lama Ding Dong" and took it into the Top 20 in the UK, Spain, Germany and Austria.

Clive Barnes: Revered dance and drama critic in London and New York

Friday, 21 November 2008

The British writer Clive Barnes was acknowledged as one of the finest critics of dance and theatre, who revolutionised the way in which dance was criticised, and who for many years was the theatre critic for the New York Times in the days when that newspaper's reviews were powerful enough to make or break a show.

Guy Peellaert: Artist who designed albums for Bowie and the Stones

Friday, 21 November 2008

The iconic book Rock Dreams, created by the Belgian artist Guy Peellaert with the British rock writer Nik Cohn, had a huge impact when it was first published in 1972, and went on to sell more than one million copies worldwide. Issued under various titles, it told the story of popular music, from the crooners of the Forties to the glam days of the early Seventies. In a series of 125 striking tableaux, Peellaert displayed an amazing gift for recreating the likenesses of his heroes while putting them in situations echoing their mythical status or playing on their most famous lyrics.

Rosaleen Ross: Medical volunteer in the Spanish Civil War

Friday, 21 November 2008

Rosaleen Ross – then Rosaleen Smythe – was one of the 150 volunteers from Britain who worked in the medical services of the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39. She crossed the Pyrenees in November 1936 and spent most of the next two years involved in the war, working as an administrator and interpreter, often in makeshift front-line hospitals that regularly came under enemy fire.

Sir Bernard Feilden: Dynamic architect who led the post-war conservation of British cathedrals

Thursday, 20 November 2008

Bernard Feilden was an outstanding leader in the post-war conservation movement. St Paul's Cathedral, St Giles' High Kirk in Edinburgh, York Minster and Norwich Cathedral, all complex buildings, owe their continuing power to inspire in part to the courage and skill of Feilden and his partners in the firm he created, Feilden and Mawson of Norwich, London and Cambridge.

Irving Brecher: Prolific comedy writer who scripted two films for the Marx Brothers

Thursday, 20 November 2008

Known in comedy circles as the "undisputed king of all gag men, living or dead", Irving Brecher was admired by such figures as S.J. Perelman and Groucho Marx for his lightning wit. A prolific writer for radio and television, he also worked on classic screen musicals including Meet Me in St Louis, and wrote, unaided, two films for the Marx Brothers.

Sir John Page: Loyal Conservative backbencher known for his trenchant views

Thursday, 20 November 2008

John Page spent more than a quarter of a century in the House of Commons as a Conservative MP, and in 1984 he was rewarded for his loyalty to successive leaders with a knighthood.

Jonathan Bates: Award-winning sound editor who became closely associated with the films of Lord Attenborough

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Jonathan Bates was a brilliant sound editor who won two Bafta awards and an Oscar nomination for his outstanding contributions to cinema.

Nigel Plews: Police officer, international umpire and expert on the laws of cricket

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Nigel Plews, who has died aged 74, was an extraordinary character whose colourful life encompassed two successful careers. Following 25 years in the police force, he later found considerable fame as an international cricket umpire and, in the process, became one of the foremost authorities on the laws of the game. What made his achievements all the more remarkable was the fact that, unlike almost all of his colleagues, Plews had never played cricket beyond club level.

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