Comments on: A belatedly blogged encomium to Bill Deedes…

By: joeCanuck

joeCanuck — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:53:10 +0000

Hear Hear Rory.
My sentiments exactly.
I always felt good about him as a person watching him on TV.

By: Malcolm Redfellow

Malcolm Redfellow — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:35:43 +0000

I noticed one of the better Deedes’ stories came late to the party (I think it was in the Sunday Times gossip column).

Deedes was shown round Saltwood Castle by Alan Clark. Clark was the most ineffable snob, always credited with putting down Michael Heseltine by saying he “bought his own furniture” (in fact the line originally came from Michael Jopling).

Clark insisted on reciting to Deedes the history of the Castle, back to the hatching of the plot to murder Thomas Becket. Deedes listened patiently, and didn’t mention that the castle had been his own family home until the Wall Street Crash, and didn’t point out his own family crest in the Great Hall, above the fireplace.

Can we also have a brief cheer for Deedes’s near contemporary, Denis Healey, 90 on Thursday?

Have we stopped producing such people as Deedes and Healey, capable of achieving multiple roles (in these two cases, writing, soldiering and politicking) in one lifetime?

By: Rory

Rory — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:20:51 +0000

But..it is a beautiful obituary. A man who inspired such affection, esteem and respect from among his own has lived well; the genius of Deedes’ life was that, even among those who despised the society he stood for, myself included, it was difficult, if not impossible to dislike the man.

Perhaps to live well, true to one’s own lights, yet with generousity towards all is the best that can be expected of any man.

By: Rory

Rory — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:07:28 +0000

(and no, it was not to gain friends or to influence people):

Good job too – it would never have worked. But never mind, we like you anyway.