Part 2 (Obituaries) - King's College - University of Cambridge
Part 2 (Obituaries) - King's College - University of Cambridge Part 2 (Obituaries) - King's College - University of Cambridge
130 OBITUARIES ALASTAIR CAMERON FORBES (1936) was a journalist and book reviewer but is primarily remembered as one of the most handsome, witty, yet acerbic socialites of post-war Britain. Ali was a courtier and boulevardier, a man about town and a brilliant conversationalist. He was a Noël Coward character in the flesh, and one who could also call Coward a friend in real life. This was the time when it was still possible to be a gossip and a tease while actually knowing those teased and those gossiped about. But personal proximity led as often to acrimonious relationships as to friendships, and Ali’s sometimes brilliant path through life was littered along the way with bitter and rancorous disagreements and litigations. Ali knew both success and defeat. A curious Anglo-American world was the background from which Ali sprung. His father was a Forbes and his mother a Winthrop, both old anglophile Bostonian families. Ali, one of 11 children, was born in Britain, in Surrey on 2 May 1918. He had a British passport and sported an almost exaggerated English accent, but also stayed well connected to his American relations. This extended family in the USA formed part of an east coast aristocracy. Ali was the cousin of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, called John F Kennedy his friend and was close to becoming the uncle of another president when John Kerry, his sister’s son, contested the 2004 presidential elections. Ali was given a thoroughly English education at Winchester and then King’s where he was taught by Dadie Rylands both in academic subjects, and, one can suppose, also in the more subtle arts of conversation and wit. Ali was not only handsome and smooth; he was also an intelligent young man with a keen interest in politics. Before coming up to King’s he had studied languages in both Germany and Russia for brief periods and was, as were many others, dismayed by the slow but sure slide towards war. Ali had made friends, something that he was as good at as making enemies, with Mary Churchill before the war, and wrote in 1938 to her father,Winston Churchill, that he thought that it was time for him to step up and take over the reins of the country. Churchill seemed only amused at the impertinence, and Ali was to become a welcome guest at his table. In September 1939 Ali
decided to visit his cousin FDR in the White House and demand tougher action from him to intimidate Hitler. When Ali returned to Britain he decided to do something himself, and tried to join up. Lung problems complicated his attempts to participate in the war effort, but eventually he was able to volunteer for a mission to Finland after its invasion by Russia. Later he was temporarily commissioned in the Royal Marines and was sent out to Dakar to join the Free French, but was soon invalided out because of his health, and he spent the remainder of the war in London where he dedicated himself to a career of journalism. Because Ali was well situated in the higher echelons of London society, it was easy for him to make the right contacts in order to land himself a job at a paper. His first post was with David Astor’s Observer, where he wrote profiles and leaders as well as reviewing books. Later during the war he would also become the diplomatic correspondent of The Sunday Times. As the war drew to a close, Ali once again tried to be part of events rather than simply commenting upon them. He ran for the Liberal Party in the 1945 general election contesting Hendon South. He did not manage any better than a third place after the Conservative and Labour candidates, but he did attract an impressive 7,000 voters when the winning candidate got 17,000. Ali admitted afterwards that he had himself voted Labour. Whether this was just another of his jokes or a more profound uncertainty as to his own merits was never clarified. After the war Ali continued as a columnist and reviewer for the Daily Mail, the Sunday Dispatch and the Daily Sketch until the late 1950s. He slowly began making a name for himself with his wit, his gossip and not least for his sexual innuendo. Ali’s singular style of writing separated him from run-ofthe-mill journalist colleagues. Some said his convoluted and long sentences had a Continental air, as if Ali were Proust with social skills. Editors scratched their heads in desperation over his texts. No matter how much they edited them they always seemed to carry Ali’s unmistakable imprint.The editors at the Daily Sketch even went so far at one point as publishing a glossary accompanying his article. 131 OBITUARIES
- Page 20 and 21: 80 OBITUARIES HUGH MALCOLM BARKLA (
- Page 22 and 23: 82 OBITUARIES GERALD CHARLES BAYFIE
- Page 24 and 25: 84 OBITUARIES He progressed to beco
- Page 26 and 27: 86 OBITUARIES FREDERICK BERNHEIM (1
- Page 28 and 29: 88 OBITUARIES WILLIAM DELBERT (DEL)
- Page 30 and 31: 90 OBITUARIES 1976 to 1987, he was
- Page 32 and 33: 92 OBITUARIES After the war Philip
- Page 34 and 35: 94 OBITUARIES Franklin’s energy a
- Page 36 and 37: 96 OBITUARIES slightly unconvention
- Page 38 and 39: 98 OBITUARIES born in Coventry on 2
- Page 40 and 41: 100 OBITUARIES possible. In his fly
- Page 42 and 43: 102 OBITUARIES meals to the aged an
- Page 44 and 45: 104 OBITUARIES Sciences. Between 19
- Page 46 and 47: 106 OBITUARIES Spencer attended Gre
- Page 48 and 49: 108 OBITUARIES Exhibition to King
- Page 50 and 51: 110 OBITUARIES Edwin was well liked
- Page 52 and 53: 112 OBITUARIES made him some good f
- Page 54 and 55: 114 OBITUARIES John volunteered whe
- Page 56 and 57: 116 OBITUARIES Tim’s intellect wa
- Page 58 and 59: 118 OBITUARIES Valiant. He was awar
- Page 60 and 61: 120 OBITUARIES LAMBERT ANTHONY CHAR
- Page 62 and 63: 122 OBITUARIES his time to his fami
- Page 64 and 65: 124 OBITUARIES contracted polio whi
- Page 66 and 67: 126 OBITUARIES Working as an astron
- Page 68 and 69: 128 OBITUARIES have been at the for
- Page 72 and 73: 132 OBITUARIES It was in 1957, when
- Page 74 and 75: 134 OBITUARIES intercepted Japanese
- Page 76 and 77: 136 OBITUARIES Jim was a driving fo
- Page 78 and 79: 138 OBITUARIES where he remained cl
- Page 80 and 81: 140 OBITUARIES WILLIAM HARRISON HAR
- Page 82 and 83: 142 OBITUARIES It may have been the
- Page 84 and 85: 144 OBITUARIES piloting planes duri
- Page 86 and 87: 146 OBITUARIES Shortly thereafter P
- Page 88 and 89: 148 OBITUARIES Michael returned to
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- Page 92 and 93: 152 OBITUARIES diets of different e
- Page 94 and 95: 154 OBITUARIES duty-bound to care f
- Page 96 and 97: 156 OBITUARIES The College heard of
- Page 98 and 99: 158 OBITUARIES STEWART FERGUSON MAC
- Page 100 and 101: 160 OBITUARIES Hugh was born in Sal
- Page 102 and 103: 162 OBITUARIES EDWIN ROBERT MANN (1
- Page 104 and 105: 164 OBITUARIES to the needs of his
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- Page 108 and 109: 168 OBITUARIES GEORGE KENNETH MONRO
- Page 110 and 111: 170 OBITUARIES PAUL GERARD JOHN MOR
- Page 112 and 113: 172 OBITUARIES IAN LESLIE NICOL (19
- Page 114 and 115: 174 OBITUARIES consumers about meat
- Page 116 and 117: 176 OBITUARIES of the group in his
- Page 118 and 119: 178 OBITUARIES a committed civil se
decided to visit his cousin FDR in the White House and demand tougher<br />
action from him to intimidate Hitler.<br />
When Ali returned to Britain he decided to do something himself, and tried<br />
to join up. Lung problems complicated his attempts to participate in the war<br />
effort, but eventually he was able to volunteer for a mission to Finland after<br />
its invasion by Russia. Later he was temporarily commissioned in the Royal<br />
Marines and was sent out to Dakar to join the Free French, but was soon<br />
invalided out because <strong>of</strong> his health, and he spent the remainder <strong>of</strong> the war in<br />
London where he dedicated himself to a career <strong>of</strong> journalism.<br />
Because Ali was well situated in the higher echelons <strong>of</strong> London society, it was<br />
easy for him to make the right contacts in order to land himself a job at a<br />
paper. His first post was with David Astor’s Observer, where he wrote pr<strong>of</strong>iles<br />
and leaders as well as reviewing books. Later during the war he would also<br />
become the diplomatic correspondent <strong>of</strong> The Sunday Times. As the war drew to<br />
a close, Ali once again tried to be part <strong>of</strong> events rather than simply<br />
commenting upon them. He ran for the Liberal <strong>Part</strong>y in the 1945 general<br />
election contesting Hendon South. He did not manage any better than a third<br />
place after the Conservative and Labour candidates, but he did attract an<br />
impressive 7,000 voters when the winning candidate got 17,000. Ali<br />
admitted afterwards that he had himself voted Labour. Whether this was just<br />
another <strong>of</strong> his jokes or a more pr<strong>of</strong>ound uncertainty as to his own merits was<br />
never clarified.<br />
After the war Ali continued as a columnist and reviewer for the Daily Mail,<br />
the Sunday Dispatch and the Daily Sketch until the late 1950s. He slowly began<br />
making a name for himself with his wit, his gossip and not least for his<br />
sexual innuendo. Ali’s singular style <strong>of</strong> writing separated him from run-<strong>of</strong>the-mill<br />
journalist colleagues. Some said his convoluted and long sentences<br />
had a Continental air, as if Ali were Proust with social skills. Editors scratched<br />
their heads in desperation over his texts. No matter how much they edited<br />
them they always seemed to carry Ali’s unmistakable imprint.The editors at<br />
the Daily Sketch even went so far at one point as publishing a glossary<br />
accompanying his article.<br />
131<br />
OBITUARIES
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