Latest news with #Letch
Sydney Morning Herald
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Unfailingly big-hearted and generous': Beloved Herald cartoonist John Shakespeare dies after cancer battle
Shakespeare was born in Brisbane and grew up devouring the cartoons in Mad and Cracked magazines – a fascination that later made Tony Abbott, in whom he saw Mad 's Alfred E. Neuman, one of his favourite prime ministers to draw. 'Probably the greatest political cartoon character of all time,' he once said of Abbott, 'from his ears to his Speedos.' A gig fixing photocopiers at the Courier Mail led to a job in the art room, despite no formal training. He moved south to work at Fairfax's Sydney Sun in 1985, hoping to become a political cartoonist, and when it closed was transferred to The Sydney Morning Herald. The paper didn't need a political cartoonist, so he was told to draw caricatures instead. Wilcox started a few years later. 'He was cool but not too cool, he always had his shoulder-length hair, and he liked to ride a motorbike,' she recalls. Letch says the always-affable Shakes transformed when he climbed onto two wheels (he gave up when his son was young, given the dangers of motorbikes): 'He's like an athlete, he can do wheelies, change gears – on a pushbike, he can go through the gears on one wheel,' he said. Shakespeare was prolific. His work ranged from intricate front-page budget illustrations to pocket cartoons on the letters page and a caricature of nearly every departing Herald staffer over decades. He and Letch both hated drawing the cryptic racing tip for the form guide and, as the number of artists on staff dwindled, Letch recalls refusing to do it any more, but Shakespeare 'did it up until the end,' he says. 'He put the same amount of love into that as he would into anything else.' A little while ago, Letch helped move some drawings into Shakespeare's attic. 'There must have been about 6000 there,' he says. Shakespeare estimated he worked on 15,000 to 20,000 drawings in his career. 'He had a massive output, and no job was too small,' Letch says. 'He gave everything the same attention.' Loading Wilcox said his willingness to say 'yes' and do his work graciously, with good humour, was part of what helped him leave 'such a big mark on the paper,' she says. 'You do it with grace and good heart, and that's him – that's the way he rolls. It's made him extremely beloved.' To the end, Shakespeare agonised over the creative process. 'I always say cartooning is fun when it's done,' Shakespeare once told the Queensland Law Society newsletter Proctor, for which he drew early in his career in Brisbane. 'The process of creating a funny cartoon can be quite excruciating – I actually don't enjoy that part. Once I have the idea, I can relax a bit and draw it, which I enjoy.' His political favourites grew, although it took time for him to develop an affinity. 'When Scott Morrison first gained prominence, I struggled with his likeness; he just didn't strike me as good cartoon material,' he once said. 'Now he's one of my favourites.' His top five, he told Proctor in 2023, were Morrison, John Howard, Dan Andrews, Gladys Berejiklian (his personal favourite) and, of course, Abbott. They loved him too. The warmth with which he approached his work meant many famous Australians are proud to have been his subjects. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has a cartoon of himself and wife Vicky Campion hanging in their living room, while there is a Shakespeare of Albanese walking Toto the dog on the wall at The Lodge. The country's richest person, Gina Rinehart, also has a Shakespeare in Hancock Prospecting's office. It's a portrait of Margaret Thatcher wearing a Joh (Bjelke-Petersen) for PM badge, with the famous Thatcher quote, 'There can be no liberty unless there is economic liberty'. The portrait combines 'two brave and sensible leaders', says Rinehart's spokesman. In a recent Five Minutes with Fitz interview, Shakespeare was pragmatic about his cancer diagnosis, saying his mantra was 'accept, adjust, adapt'. 'Once I know that something is irreversible, I have no choice but to accept it. There is a certain sense of peace that comes from acceptance. It eliminates the need to ask 'why me?' and 'if only',' he told FitzSimons. Shields said Shakespeare's 'trademark positivity, optimism and ability to see the humour in everything – including his own health battle – was with him until the end'. Cartoonist Lindsay Foyle said Shakespeare would be remembered as a talented cartoonist and as a lovely person. 'One of the nice things about John's caricatures is they nearly always have a touch of whimsy about them, not like some caricatures where they make the person grotesque and ugly,' he said. 'Even when he didn't like the person, it was always humorous.'
The Age
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘Unfailingly big-hearted and generous': Beloved Herald cartoonist John Shakespeare dies after cancer battle
Shakespeare was born in Brisbane and grew up devouring the cartoons in Mad and Cracked magazines – a fascination that later made Tony Abbott, in whom he saw Mad 's Alfred E. Neuman, one of his favourite prime ministers to draw. 'Probably the greatest political cartoon character of all time,' he once said of Abbott, 'from his ears to his Speedos.' A gig fixing photocopiers at the Courier Mail led to a job in the art room, despite no formal training. He moved south to work at Fairfax's Sydney Sun in 1985, hoping to become a political cartoonist, and when it closed was transferred to The Sydney Morning Herald. The paper didn't need a political cartoonist, so he was told to draw caricatures instead. Wilcox started a few years later. 'He was cool but not too cool, he always had his shoulder-length hair, and he liked to ride a motorbike,' she recalls. Letch says the always-affable Shakes transformed when he climbed onto two wheels (he gave up when his son was young, given the dangers of motorbikes): 'He's like an athlete, he can do wheelies, change gears – on a pushbike, he can go through the gears on one wheel,' he said. Shakespeare was prolific. His work ranged from intricate front-page budget illustrations to pocket cartoons on the letters page and a caricature of nearly every departing Herald staffer over decades. He and Letch both hated drawing the cryptic racing tip for the form guide and, as the number of artists on staff dwindled, Letch recalls refusing to do it any more, but Shakespeare 'did it up until the end,' he says. 'He put the same amount of love into that as he would into anything else.' A little while ago, Letch helped move some drawings into Shakespeare's attic. 'There must have been about 6000 there,' he says. Shakespeare estimated he worked on 15,000 to 20,000 drawings in his career. 'He had a massive output, and no job was too small,' Letch says. 'He gave everything the same attention.' Wilcox said his willingness to say 'yes' and do his work graciously, with good humour, was part of what helped him leave 'such a big mark on the paper,' she says. 'You do it with grace and good heart, and that's him – that's the way he rolls. It's made him extremely beloved.' To the end, Shakespeare agonised over the creative process. 'I always say cartooning is fun when it's done,' Shakespeare once told the Queensland Law Society newsletter Proctor, for which he drew early in his career in Brisbane. 'The process of creating a funny cartoon can be quite excruciating – I actually don't enjoy that part. Once I have the idea, I can relax a bit and draw it, which I enjoy.' His political favourites grew, although it took time for him to develop an affinity. 'When Scott Morrison first gained prominence, I struggled with his likeness; he just didn't strike me as good cartoon material,' he once said. 'Now he's one of my favourites.' His top five, he told Proctor in 2023, were Morrison, John Howard, Dan Andrews, Gladys Berejiklian (his personal favourite) and, of course, Abbott. They loved him too. The warmth with which he approached his work meant many famous Australians are proud to have been his subjects. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce has a cartoon of himself and wife Vicky Campion hanging in their living room, while there is a Shakespeare of Albanese walking Toto the dog on the wall at The Lodge. The country's richest person, Gina Rinehart, also has a Shakespeare in Hancock Prospecting's office. It's a portrait of Margaret Thatcher wearing a Joh (Bjelke-Petersen) for PM badge, with the famous Thatcher quote, 'There can be no liberty unless there is economic liberty'. The portrait combines 'two brave and sensible leaders', says Rinehart's spokesman. In a recent Five Minutes with Fitz interview, Shakespeare was pragmatic about his cancer diagnosis, saying his mantra was 'accept, adjust, adapt'. 'Once I know that something is irreversible, I have no choice but to accept it. There is a certain sense of peace that comes from acceptance. It eliminates the need to ask 'why me?' and 'if only',' he told FitzSimons. Shields said Shakespeare's 'trademark positivity, optimism and ability to see the humour in everything – including his own health battle – was with him until the end'. Cartoonist Lindsay Foyle said Shakespeare would be remembered as a talented cartoonist and as a lovely person. 'One of the nice things about John's caricatures is they nearly always have a touch of whimsy about them, not like some caricatures where they make the person grotesque and ugly,' he said. 'Even when he didn't like the person, it was always humorous.'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Parents' 20-year fight for professional women's cricket team
Parents who campaigned for Essex County Cricket Club to create a professional women's side said they battled stereotypes to make the dream a reality. Dave and Pam Letch wanted better opportunities for females in the sport after their daughter first picked up a bat aged nine. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) created a top tier for women's cricket in 2025, and Essex joined, holding its first home game in Chelmsford on Sunday. Mr Letch said it took "a lot of pushing, a lot of persuading and a lot of sweat and tears" over two decades. The couple, from Billericay, founded Essex's women's set-up 20 years ago, but have continued to urge the club to create a professional side. It was an idea Mr Letch came up with while coaching cricket in schools. "I could see the ability of a lot of girls in the schools, and we pushed our daughter to play at as high a level as she could," he said. "At that time, Essex really didn't have their own set-up. The women were playing as East Anglia, rather than Essex." The professional women's game was expanded by the ECB in 2025 with the creation of three tiers. It was hoped the move would see an 80% increase in the number of professional female players by 2029. Mr Letch said he and his wife took it upon themselves to become a "driving force" for growth in Essex, but it did not come easily. "The biggest challenges were getting females involved with the coaching system," he explained. "Also, understanding females could play the game, that they were athletically able to play the game from a young age. "It was difficult trying to get it through to people." Mrs Letch said they had encountered many men who "don't accept what females can do" in sport. The couple hoped Essex Women would inspire the next generation of female cricketers. Mr Letch said: "Now there's a pathway from a nine-year-old playing club cricket to England women. "That was one of the hardest things years ago for people to accept, that there was a pathway for them to follow." Both Mr and Mrs Letch said watching the side play for the first time filled them with pride. Mrs Letch said it was "wonderful", with her husband adding: "We never thought there would be a professional game for the girls, so it's great there now is." Dan Feist, Essex County Cricket Club chief executive, thanked Mr and Mrs Letch after what he branded an "historic week" for the club. He said the side's first home match of the season was "a very special occasion". "We are extremely grateful to Dave and Pam Letch for all their hard work when initially setting up the women's team all those years ago," Mr Feist said. "The future is very exciting for the Essex Women's team." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. One-Day Cup games launch new era of women's domestic cricket Essex Women announce first professional players ECB names counties to host women's teams from 2025 Essex Cricket
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Devon tributes paid following death of councillor Frank Letch
Tributes are being paid to the chairman of a district council who died on Letch was chairman of Mid Devon District Council, the Devon County Council member for Crediton, and was appointed an MBE for his charity and community a father of five, was born without arms and went on to a successful career as a teacher while also exhibiting dogs at Crufts and campaigning for several charities while serving as a at Mid Devon said throughout his career he would advocate "for fairness and representation for everyone". 'Close to his heart' Luke Taylor, Liberal Democrat leader of Mid Devon District Council, said: "Frank poured his heart and soul into local politics and would always represent his communities to the highest of standards, as he would expect from us all."He never shied away from stepping forward to represent others, be that through his role as a local councillor or through supporting charities and organisations close to his heart."Letch was mayor of Crediton for 13 years and served on Mid Devon District Council from 2015 and on Devon County Council from said: "This council will be a poorer place without Frank's dedication and enthusiasm to local politics and he will be missed by elected members from across all parties." Letch was born in June 1944 in London. He studied French and Italian at Birmingham University and lived in Wales and Scotland before moving to Devon in the council said his response when asked about his disability was: "Most people know that I was born without arms. "Nobody knows why and it doesn't really matter if they do because it won't change anything, will it?"Letch had roles with several charities, including Reach, Devon in Sight, the Jubilee Sailing Trust and a local preschool and was awarded the MBE in the New Year's honours list in 2015 for his work in the local had five children with his wife Helen, who died in 1990. His second wife Natalia is a member of Mid Devon District County Council will hold elections on 1 May and a full list of all of the candidates is available here.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tributes to disabled man who 'excelled in everything'
Tributes have been paid to a man who was able to live with his disability "happily" despite being born without arms. Frank Letch, a former French teacher at Ysgol y Berwyn in Bala, Gwynedd, and a Devon county councillor for Crediton, died recently aged 80. Raised in Peckham, London, he spent most of his life in Llanuwchllyn with his late wife, Helen, and their five children, before moving to Devon with his partner, Natalia. Eleri Llwyd, who worked with Mr Letch at Ysgol y Berwyn, said he was an "extremely popular teacher". He gained recognition in Wales for his positivity about living with a disability, with several television shows made about him. In the 2021 S4C programme DRYCH: Byw Heb Freichiau, Mr Letch said: "I hope it (the show) will help people remember what I was and encourage interest in those with what everyone calls a 'disability'." In the programme, he reflected on his "happy years" in Llanuwchllyn, where he raised his five children with his wife, Helen, and taught for 20 years. "I loved the area – and so did Helen," he said. As a French teacher, languages came easily to Mr Letch, and he quickly became fluent in Welsh. He added: "I have to say, I think I'm happier because of learning Welsh. "Especially where we lived – the capital of Wales is Llanuwchllyn, not Cardiff." Mr Letch was often seen using his feet to drink pints of beer and throw darts at his local pub. After losing his wife at 41, he moved from the Bala area to Scotland and then lived in Crediton, Devon, for many years with his partner, Natalia. In 2015, Mr Letch was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his contributions to local government, having served as chairman of Mid Devon District Council. On Tuesday, Elfyn Llwyd, the former MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said he was very sad to hear about Mr Letch's passing. His wife, Eleri Llwyd, who worked with Mr Letch at Ysgol y Berwyn, told Cymru Fyw that he was an "extremely popular teacher." "At school the children loved him - he had a good sense of humour," she said. "He wouldn't take any nonsense." According to Ms Llwyd, Mr Letch had a specially adapted bike, which allowed him to travel quickly to and from his home, which was situated outside the village. However, over time, the journey took much longer, as "everyone wanted to stop and chat with Frank". "Frank lived happily with his disability, and he truly excelled in everything he did," she said.
