John Downing

NOT WAVING BUT DOWNING


Acclaimed photographer John Downing died a few days before his 80th birthday. A war photographer for five decades, Downing was known for his cool under pressure, even when being interrogated in a jail as a suspected spy by Idi Amin. He visited Chernobyl and Afghanistan, and was the only photographer on the scene when the IRA bombed the Tory Party Conference at Brighton in 1984. He publicly announced a battle with mesothelioma last year, which is why a number of contenders for the title nabbed him on their teams. This includes Banana’s Peel Slippers and the Derby Dead Pool’s all time greats, The Living End. Also, a team called David Quantick’s Showbiz Pals. Spade claims a top ten finish will suffice in 2020. As Tom and Jerry said to the government radio warning after the atomic mouse exploded, don’t you believe him!


John Downing
17 April 1940 – 8 April 2020
4 teams