TV Artist Tony Hart Dies aged 83

Just recently, following the deaths of Patrick McGoohan and Dai Llewellyn, I referred to the world being a slightly less colorful place. Hearing the news today of the death of Tony Hart at the age of 83, brings that phrase to mind again, quite literally this time.

When asking most people for the name of artists, TV artists Rolf Harris and Tony Hart are most likely to be mentioned. Tony was best known for his role on children's show Vision On and later in his own series Take Hart and Hartbeat. He was well known for inviting viewers to send in their own artwork, and some of his methods were employed by school art departments. Most people will also remember him in association with Morph, an early creation of Aardman Animations, who appeared on Take Hart, getting in the way of Tony's art projects. In fact, Tony wrote what amounted to an Obituary for Morph, when Aardman Animations' storage warehouse was destroyed by fire in 2005.

Unable to join the Air Force when he left school because of poor eyesight, he went to India to join the Gurkhas. Always having a love of art, after finishing his service, he went to art school. A chance meeting with a TV producer at a party, drawing a fish on a napkin, led to his employment in TV, where he worked until his retirement in 2001. He would work in his Garden studio "until 4pm when I would change my shoes and set forth on a four-mile Gurkha-pace jog through the Surrey hills".

He continued to work on his art until two strokes resulted in him not being able to use his hands. He said "Not being able to draw is the greatest cross that I have to bear, for it has been my lifetime passion. But I endeavour to stay cheerful, as there is nothing to be done about my condition." Even though unable to sign autographs, he frequently made public appearances.

John Mortimer - A Great British Treasure

So here I am again, reporting the loss of another great British treasure. Friday saw the death of author, raconteur and lawyer Sir John Mortimer, aged 85. Although I remember the TV series Rumpole of the Bailey, starring Leo McKern being very popular, I only started reading any of Mortimer's books very recently. I thoroughly enjoyed Summer's Lease(1988) and Felix in the Underworld(1996), and made a mental note to read more, especially the Rumpole books.

Working as a practicing lawyer, and known as a defender of free speech (because of this and his association with publisher Penguin Books, it is often mistakenly thought that he was involved with the famous Lady Chatterley's Lover case), he started writing as a kind of retirement plan. He would often write in the morning, before going off to court.

There have been some great pieces written about John Mortimer today. Among my favorites are this one by Tony Lacey, Viking Editorial Director, and this one by Valerie Grove in The Times of London.

And if, like me, you want to read more Mortimer, check out these John Mortimer books on Amazon.com:

Farewell Patrick McGoohan and Dai Llewellyn

We hear news today of the deaths of two characters, the loss of whom leaves the world slightly less colorful.

Firstly, Patrick McGoohan, who died at the age of 80 after a brief illness in Los Angeles. I first remember McGoohan in the British series Danger Man, known in the US as Secret Agent, but it was as "Number 6" in the cult TV series The Prisoner, for which he became most famous. Produced by McGoohan, who later contributed to the writing and directing of the series, and filmed in the Welsh village of Portmeirion, The Prisoner was thought to be "too philosophical and difficult" by many critics. The final episode, deliberately ambiguous, and containing a lengthy section completely without dialog, was considered so controversial that McGoohan and his family left Britain for the US and relative anonymity for more than 20 years. He continued to appear in movies, famously appearing as King Longshanks in Mel Gibson's Braveheart, but turned down many parts recently due to ill health. Here's a treat for those who have never seen The Prisoner, or those who dearly remember it, for whom this clip will bring back many memories:



Known primarily as a "Bon Viveur", Dai Llewellyn has also died aged 62. I find the contrast between the obits from British newspaper The Daily Telegraph and the BBC to be rather interesting, "The Torygraph" presenting rather a heroic story, while the Beeb seems to be less sympathetic somehow. Sir Dai (sometimes referred to as "Dirty Dai" by the tabloid press) was certainly notorious for chasing women, and for drinking a huge amount. Talking about his huge appetite for alcohol, he once said: "I do recall one particularly heavy night on my own when I consumed eight bottles of wine, one bottle of vodka, one bottle of rum and one bottle of port. People look unconvinced when I say this, but at 6am I was totally lucid." He became most well-known for revealing to the press his brother Roddy's affair with Princess Margaret.

Although aware that it was probably his own excesses that resulted in his recent ill-health, he nevertheless said that he had "no regrets" about the life he led.