‘A sinking ship is my spiritual home’
William F. Deedes — Bill to his friends, and Lord Deedes to the rest of us mortals — has died, aged 94, after more than three quarters of a century as a working journalist, columnist and part-time politician. He filed his last copy on 3 August.
He once wrote about Nelson Mandela: “Only revolutionaries… draw reverence from their supporters. As soon as they embark on the endless adventure of governing men, they descend to earth and encounter critics.”
Mere days before his death, on 14 August, the Daily Telegraph published a letter: “Sir - May I put forward W F Deedes for Prime Minister in a Fantasy Government? What he has to say in his weekly column makes more sense than all the politicians put together.”
His own quip upon receiving copy for editing seems sadly apt: “I’m infinitely grateful. Your reward will not be in this world.” The Telegraph as a long obituary for a remarkable life.
