Renton Laidlaw delivered a marvellous, heart-felt, humorous eulogy at the funeral of our colleague and former Chairman Mark Wilson which was held at Woking Crematorium and afterwards at Sunningdale Golf Club.
Renton, Secretary of the AGW 1978-1995, Chairman 1995-98 and President 2004-2015, spoke at Sunningdale where more than 100 gathered including former Office Bearers Michael McDonnell (Chairman 1978-82 and 1992-95; President 1998-2004), Donald Steel (Treasurer 1977-90; President 1993-98), Mark Garrod (Secretary 1995-2002), John Hopkins (Chairman 1998-2007), Andy Farrell (Secretary 2002-2009), Bill Elliott (Chairman 2010-2013) and current Treasurer Peter Higgs in addition to members Brian Creighton, Patricia Davies, David Hamilton, Mitchell Platts and John Whitbread. Former players Peter Alliss and Bernard Gallacher were also in attendance in addition to former Chief Executives of The European Tour Ken Schofield and George O’Grady and the MC, Nick Stewart, read tributes from Bernard Gallacher, Tony Jacklin, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player before inviting Ken Schofield to give the toast to Mark in a rousing send-off.
Mark Wilson was born to be a reporter- it suited him. His natural storytelling qualities and easy to read style when he was golf correspondent of the Evening Standard and `Daily Express always delighted his readers.
He dreamed the dream writing authoritatively, amusingly, fairly and, if necessary critically but never in a mean-spirited way about the game he grew to love and the people in it. He never broke a confidence. Such was the regard that players and administrators had for him that they knew if Mark criticized them they deserved it. When he retired from the Standard it was significant that all the top British Pros of the day came to his Going–away Golf Day to wish him well… and he was only moving to the Express.
In truth he was much more than a reporter. He was an entertainer of the highest calibre. He was fun to be around and all of us who knew him personally and thousands more who only knew him by his writing were able to enjoy his sometimes impish sense of humour.
He was a masterful raconteur whose timing was perfect. Thankfully he knew how to laugh at himself. He enjoyed telling us about the scrapes he got in to and we loved hearing them so often in fact that a few of us after 40 years knew every line of his often dramatic but usually hilariously funny adventures……… and we still laughed every time he told them. As Frank Carson was inclined to say – it was the way he told them.
Renton Laidlaw delivering the eulogy within Sunningdale Golf Club to Mark Wilson and with Mark’s wife, Joan in the foreground. T
When Mark moved first to London he quickly became one of proprietor Lord Beaverbrook’s bright young reporters moving on to become foreign correspondent and then night news editor.
So hard working was he that when the pressure began to tell on his health and before he could be appointed news editor, ( the next step up the career ladder) the paper’s editor decided that he should be moved, for a time, to a less stressful post and what better than the relaxing golf reporter’s job that had become vacant. He never returned to the news desk.
When he went to the Ryder Cup at Lindrick in 1957 he became hooked on golf helped by the fact that after many years of American domination the British and Irish team inspired by Dai Rees managed what in those days was a rare victory. He set about learning how to play the game himself and became a very good and highly competitive golfer.
In his illustrious career as a golf correspondent he was on first name terms with most players certainly with the superstars who respected his integrity and honesty. Those were the days when there was much greater rapport between those who played the game and those who wrote about it.
When he visited America for the first time with Joan he asked Jack Nicklaus no less if he could recommend a restaurant for dinner that evening. A booking was duly made at a glass fronted-establishment where it was easy to marvel at the waves crashing on to the beach.
Renton Laidlaw delivering the eulogy at the funeral of Mark Wilson
Mark was immediately anxious and turned to Joan and said “This is a very expensive restaurant. There is even a man in a white suit playing a white grand piano in the foyer We better have a plan. We will not have a starter, just a glass of wine, not a bottle, and a not too expensive main course. We will dispense with dessert and have coffee back at the hotel. When Mark asked for the bill, the waiter said :“ There is no bill, you are the guests of Jack Nicklaus tonight”. If only he had known that at the start of the meal.
Sometimes he had a good story gifted to him. In 1963 at breakfast at Lytham when Bob Charles, the left-handed New Zealander, one of the world’s most accomplished putters asked Mark to unscrew the top of the sauce bottle for him to avoid him damaging his sensitive fingers ….then went on to win the Open Championship Mark knew the line to take “ How I helped Bob Charles win the Open”. It was a good back page lead.
I was speaking last week to former Sunningdale pro Clive Clark who told me Mark was responsible for his winning his first event in Britain– the Agfa tournament at Stoke Poges. Both were returning from America. Clive had just won his
US tour card and found himself sitting beside Mark in the plane. “You will win the Agfa” Mark told him “ after what you did in the US last week you are two shots better than anyone else in the field.” Inspired by this Clive duly won the title.
Mark’s real hero however was Tony Jacklin at the time our only international player. Where ever Jacklin was playing in the world Mark was almost certain to be there even if it meant being away from home for yet another week. Tony was Mark’s meal-ticket for his global travel.
Mark and I had more in common than golf however – hospitals. If I was not visiting him he was visiting me. Once when he was in the Wellington Hospital in London I wanted to find out what ward Mark was in and was surprised to learn that I needed an appointment to see him. Even more surprised when the lady behind the desk suggested she would ring his secretary to ascertain when he might become available.
AGW members present at the funeral to former AGW Chairman were Renton Laidlaw, Michael McDonnell, Donald Steel, Mark Garrod, John Hopkins, Andy Farrell, Bill Elliott, Peter Higgs, Brian Creighton, Patricia Davies, David Hamilton, Mitchell Platts and John Whitbread.
Was his secretary Valerie Steele, who is with us today, actually there at the Wellington with him. The mystery was resolved when it was revealed that one of the hospital’s senior consultants was also called Mark Wilson. I did not need an appointment to see patient Mark after all.
When I was In St Peters Hospital, Mark came to visit me. I was the BBC golf correspondent at that time and casually mentioned that Gerald Glaister, the brilliant BBC producer of the Colditz story and the Secret Army on TV (and a far from well man), was also in the ward. Against my protestations to leave well alone an excited Mark insisted on letting Mr Glaister know that another BBC man was just three beds down from him. Glaister listened with serious intent to Mark’s story before replying “ I have no idea who you are sir, or who you are talking about is, but I am taking on no more trainee assistants on at this time!” End of story.
Mark was always fiercely loyal to his Newspaper, whether it be the Express or the Standard, and when we went for dinner at top golf administrator Gerald Micklem’s house at Sunningdale Mark spotted the Daily Express among the papers lying on the table in the hall. He turned to me “You see I told you he does read the Daily Express” at which point Micklem emerged to correct him, “Wrong “ he said “ I only buy it out of courtesy to help my gardener with his racing selections!!!”
He loved Sunningdale and often lunched here with his family although it did not always go as carefully planned.
On one occasion he had invited sixteen family members and friends to lunch here but everything that could go wrong did. As he and Joan were about to leave Brighton, Mark could not find the car keys. They turned up of in of all places his dressing gown pocket – half an hour lost. Then when he got to the car it wouldn’t start. He had to call the AA – another forty five minutes were lost. Worse was to follow when he ran in to a major jam on the motorway. This caused a further two hour delay and even when he reached Sunningdale the level crossing barrier came down to hold him up even more. The guests had all enjoyed their meal when Mark and Joan finally arrived hungry but still in time to pay the bill.
At another luncheon Mark was impressed at the waitress bringing the main courses and getting none of them wrong. Everyone got what they ordered. How he asked do you remember who is getting what? “That is easy” she said. “I mark on the order – man with red tie, woman with yellow scarf etc.” Mark then asked “What was I? Genial good looking host?” “No she said, very old man!”
As foreign correspondent in Egypt during the Suez crisis his biggest scoop was alerting Evening Standard readers that Britain was going in to protect the Suez canal the following day. Annoyingly there was a telephone and radio black out in Alexandria but inventive as ever he managed to file the story. Eagle-eyed Mark had spotted a Royal navy ship just off shore which was not affected by the blackout. He hired a rowing boat, made it to the ship and ad-libbed his scoop so that it made the late afternoon editions of the Standard no doubt to the surprise of the military men.
He was a wonderful ad libber but he sometimes got carried away. As a newsman, he was on the spot when singer Shirley Bassey was released by her husband or ex husband from a frightening kidnap situation in the Strand Palace hotel in Standard edition time. Mark was quickly on the phone dictating “after her frightening ordeal, Miss Bassey emerged from the hotel room shaking with her face as white as a sheet!” That was not really possible.
When he finally retired from newspapers he was snapped up by the European Tour to sort out their PR department but he quickly graduated to the more influential job of Personal Adviser to chief executive Ken Schofield and later George O’Grady. His commonsense advice was always gratefully received.
Reading many of the tributes that have been flooding in here are just some ways he was remembered by his colleagues and friends – charming, conscientious, positive, up-beat, cheerful and always helpful. And always encouraging and supportive to any newcomers in the press tent.
He was also described as, polite, gentlemanly, witty, tolerant (most of the time), a born leader and a safe pair of hands although in fairness Mark did have the ability to turn an everyday drama into a full scale crisis. In a real crisis, however, he was a good man to have by your side.
His wife Joan was always supportive from the time they met at school in Salisbury in their teens, cementing their relationship by becoming ballroom dance partners. This was a life-long success story. Mark and Joan were happily married for over 60 years.
He happened to be in Cyprus when Joan was expecting their first child and Mark, hoping to get back for the birth managed, as only he could, managed to acquire a lift in an army transport plane flying to Northolt. He didn’t make it but on the way to the hospital he stopped at a toy shop to buy something for the new baby. When he showed a pair of exquisitely made miniature boxing gloves to a wide-eyed Joan, she had to break the news gently to him that the new baby was a girl. Jacqueline still reasures those boxing gloves.
He was indeed fortunate to have two remarkable daughters, Jacqueline and Lisa, who have always been hugely supportive of their remarkable parents and especially throughout Mark’s unfairly long and debilitating illness.
Mark was a master of his profession, a role model to many. Especially myself. When I took over from him at the Standard he immediately gave me his contacts book. “You will need this”. It was typical of him.
Throughout his life he always thought of others before himself. He remained determinedly positive right to the end making us believe he really was indestructible And even when dangerously ill golf was still very much on his mind when he whispered to Jacqueline: “Who won the Masters?”
It was a privilege to know him as a great friend and colleague. Quite simply he brightened up my life – our lives. Mark was a very special person. You cannot replace a Mark Wilson. He is quite simply irreplaceable. We will all miss him very much.
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