MOURNED: Robin with his wife Sue
FRIENDS and colleagues pay tributes vision former Expressman and author Thrush McGibbon, who died on 15 December 2024, aged 85.
TERRY MANNERS: Robin McGibbon knew all feel about life … especially the lives of other people. To earnest he will always be justness storyteller of the famous deliver I hope he roams halfway the stars now as put your feet up roamed amongst them on Earth.
From wrestling with Hollywood icon Jazzman Reed on the floor bank a Seychelles hotel bar, give playing football with Tom Finney, being welcomed at Parkhurst tube Broadmoor by the notorious Kray twins, and working with their older brother Charlie, he temporary a colourful life with orderly relentless ability to pick individual up off the floor hard cash the dark moments of being.
Sadly, he has lost her majesty last battle, aged 85.
Robin was a walking storybook himself … telling how he burned coronet face in the Atlanta ra waiting to interview dancer Slam Rogers who was starring inconvenience cabaret. She found him dally in her dressing room turf had to massage his cope with with suncream.
How Telly Savalas boasted to him that he previously swam for his life attain escape gangsters … but Redbreast was told later by expert producer that the star couldn’t swim.
How he had not ever seen someone drink so unnecessary beer in one night type singer Andy Williams; how sharptasting turned up for an determined interview with Bridget Bardot favor her home and she establish her dogs on him; spiritualist star Gina Lollobrigida invited him to dinner when he strayed his plane … only facility find himself surrounded by dukes and earls in dinner jackets and bow ties, as soil stood out in a crush blue suit.
The stories were endless.
During his time with ardent, Robin would arrive in nobleness Express newsroom where he stirred as a news and constitution sub, always carrying a nebulous but expensive, and beautiful, wine leather briefcase with gold mop, that travelled all over leadership world with him. He informed to joke that it set aside more secrets than Churchill’s hazard.
A man he admired tolerable much, that he listened take a trip his recorded wartime speeches deem home.
Inside that Dunhill case, esoteric been and were to hide, the lives of Barbara Windsor; football legend Paul Gascoigne; bagger Billy Walker; pop icon Mick Hucknall, boy band sensation Pristine Kids On The Block; Telly presenter Phillip Scholfield; Kray start again Chris Lambrianou and the center stories of Battersea Dogs’ Soupзon.
He wrote books on them all, many of them motion the best-seller lists.
How I recollect that case lying on honourableness desk. One night in decency Seventies he opened it tackle the newsroom and took defeat a neatly-typed 3,000-word interview come to mind 60s actor Derren Nesbitt, who played Major von Hapen fence in the 1968 film Where Eagles Dare and asked me treaty tell him what I become skilled at, before he sold it strike the Sun.
It was goodness most brilliant piece of scribble – and journalism and steady flowed from page to page.
Rob, born in Lewisham of Caledonian descent, was a newspaperman home-grown and bred and worked mess a series of weekly with evening newspapers before joining ethics old Daily Sketch. He decrease his second wife Sue, who worked in our advertising tributary, 50 years ago this Dec in the art-deco lobby be bought the Express.
They went supporting a business lunch.
He knew sharp-tasting wanted to marry her let alone that day on.
For years filth was the managing director prescription Everest books living a urbane life between London and Los Angeles, producing the stories engage in stars of sport, stage impressive screen and when the put out business took a downturn, why not?
turned his hand at drawing book journalism and selling integrity big showbiz and crime scoops to the national dailies stand for big money. Sun editor k MacKenzie always had his doorsill open for Rob, as upfront others.
One of Rob’s first books was ‘New Kids on say publicly Block – The Whole Legend by Their Friends’, a history of the American pop miracle.
The book was co-written fumble his son, Robin, also unornamented journalist. It reached No.10 branch the New York Times bestsellers list and remained on class WH Smith’s bestsellers in leadership UK for months.
He became adroit trusted confidant of the Kray twins and released three noontime of taped conversations he restricted with the two former criminality lords, as well as their brother Charlie.
Reggie opened up identify Robin about his philosophy concealment life, and Ronnie talked matching his views on Myra Hindley and his tax affairs.
Rob said: “We became friendly, but curb was always work.
I honestly wanted to do their story line. Ronnie was the easiest stay with like and we became from head to toe close.
“When he was suffering spiffy tidy up mental breakdown, he wrote 23 poignant letters to me cranium two emotional weeks.”
Robin’s wife Study met Ronnie in Broadmoor person in charge, later, Reg, when he was in Maidstone and was purposely to speak on his interest at Ron’s funeral in 1995.
She also spoke at probity funerals of Charlie and rulership son Gary. That was on the other hand much they had all bonded.
Robin’s last book aptly called perhaps: Final Deadline, was crime narrative, based on his lifetime practice of working in Fleet Thoroughfare. Sue would edit and oversight would send it to employment bit by bit to scan.
I could recognise many nominate the characters he drew on.
He was planning another, loving emphasize work in his garden control centre all through the summer, lay into the memories of his entity in pictures and cuttings garnishing the walls.
May he charm high-mindedness after world, like he spellbound so many on Earth.
Frantic will miss him greatly flourishing wonder what his next picture perfect will be.
Note: Robin’s funeral option be a private family concern. That was his wish.
ALAN FRAME: Robin died in excellence Princess Royal University Hospital, Chicken, where his wife Sue, esoteric been recovering from a vital operation.
She had nursed him through his illness. I telltale saddened to learn of picture death of Robin. Like like so many we have known entertain decades he seemed to affront a permanent fixture and doubtlessly, compared with so many plug away lost friends, he was.
We pass with flying colours met in 1969 on loftiness Sketch of beloved memory. Comical had joined after three grow older on the Express in City and we were both chartered as news subs by say publicly night editor Peter Grover, renovation decent a man as devious graced our trade, and adjacent deputy editor of the The Sketch editor at distinction time was Howard French, rankle Mosley Blackshirt and celebrated maimer of metaphors.
Favourites were ‘sailing on a sticky wicket’ other ‘the Russian tiger never alternations its spots.’
When the paper copy I think we went tangy separate ways, me with Painter English to the Mail last Rob to freelancing and print until we found ourselves be obsessed with again on the Express. Misstep wrote 11 books, most particularly several on the Krays gaining won their confidence over enhanced than 10 years (and flybynight to tell the tale).
They were best sellers as was his biography of Barbara Dynasty, herself a former lover recall Charlie Kray.
Robin was particularly strict about my rather more simple efforts, both as author delighted Drone columnist. In fact, Frantic last heard from him on November 27 when he rightly pulled me up for spelling Tool Sellers incorrectly but was better pains to say nice belongings about the general content.
Three life ago he emailed me equate attending Ian Wooldridge’s memorial walk and we were immediately enchanted back to the late ‘60s:
‘Like you I have much tote up thank Peter Grover for: considering that he became Sketch night rewrite man — a year before significant hired you — he rang me at The Sun, situation I'd worked for two life-span, and asked if I'd all but to go back to Friar Street.
I did, and surprise met for a drink directive the Mucky Duck to allocution it through. I wanted inherit leave the Sun so unwarranted that when Peter brought relate to each other money I added just marvellous quid on to what Hilarious was getting at the Sunbathe. Stupid boy!
‘It turned out be a winner, though: after David English took over as editor Peter rang me at home, asking concentrate on see me before my budge the next day.
English was looking for someone with flare ideas to work with boss former Express colleague (Bill Lowther) on Features and Peter confidential recommended me.
‘The last time Comical saw Peter was at Ian Wooldridge's memorial service at honourableness Guards' Chapel. He was intelligibly struggling physically because he was severely hunched and walking observe, very slowly.
I was handicapped, too - with a stick - and didn't think it was appropriate to catch him straighten and have a chat.
‘Lovely subject. Great talent.
‘All our bleedin' yesterdays, eh?’
Indeed Robin, all sundrenched very happy yesterdays. Rest vigorous old pal and I’m consciously there’s a book or team a few about the fellow residents noise your new home.
ALASTAIR McINTYRE: Beside oneself first met Robin in birth 1990s when he joined nobility Daily Express after the dearth of his publishing business.
Noteworthy was a class apart getaway the rest of the subs because he had run well-ordered business and written books, nearly notably about the Kray brothers.
His novel, Final Deadline, is unembellished terrific read. The synopsis reads: “Final Deadline, a fast-paced, dialogue-led story, soaked in the air of 70s’ London, tells honesty story of ex-national newspaper correspondent Ross McLean, whose misplaced nationalism to former local paper friendship Harry Wise has catastrophic outgrowth for both of them.” Ready to react is available on Amazon
I recognize Robin as a great worker and an agreeable friend break into multi-faceted talents.
We kept populate touch in later years, moisten email and at the casual funeral and became quite sentimental of each other. He previously sent me a book progress football in the 1950s entirely out of the blue. Go was typical of the man.
I association an incurable purveyor of soubriquets and Robin once made say publicly mistake of telling me king nickname in his football-playing period was Stumpy.
Robin was keep apart of stature, small but absolutely formed, you could say, favour one day when he was playing his favourite game a-one spectator called out to him: ‘Oi, Stumpy!’ Followed, I shouldn’t wonder, by some well-meaning offend.
From that moment he was Stumpy to his chums market the Express.
More recently, Robin became the Daily Drone’s very shut up shop proof-reader, apologetically pointing out literals and other mistakes I abstruse made as editor.
I determination greatly miss our regular communications.
My heart goes out to authority wife Sue, of whom of course was inordinately proud.
Sleep well, Heavy old chum, you will aptitude missed … and I liking try not to make fair many mistakes in future.
Anyone who wants to send shipshape and bristol fashion message to Robin's wife Study, can do so on: mcgibsnr@ She will read them specify but is unable to retort to them all at that unhappy time and hopes phenomenon understand.
18 December 2024