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Robert Peacock |
Tributes to cartoonist who walked in front of Tube train
A FORMER Punch cartoonist and well-known member of the bohemian Soho art scene died after throwing himself under the wheels of a Tube train, an inquest has heard.
Robert Peacock, 82, has been remembered by friends and loved ones for his quick wit and kindness.
A friend and drinking companion to the famous Irish writer Brendan Behan and abstract painter Aubrey Williams, he ended his own life when he walked into the path of an oncoming train at Finchley Road station in February.
Mr Peacock, of Goldhurst Terrace, had become increasingly concerned about his faltering memory, St Pancras Coroner’s Court heard last Tuesday.
His wife, Jacqueline Peacock, a charity manager, said: “He was incredibly funny and always making people laugh. But as he got older he couldn’t have that life. He found it very frustrating. He wouldn’t have made a sad old character.”
She told the court: “The first thing that shocked me was when he said, ‘I know 9/11 is a significant day but I can’t remember why’.” On the morning of his death Mr Peacock had complained of not having slept the night before, she added.
Peter Atkins, the driver of the train which struck Mr Peacock, said he saw an elderly man taking large strides towards the front of the train as it pulled in shortly after 1pm. Mr Peacock died at the scene.
A passionate artist, Mr Peacock was a freelance contributor for the satirical Punch magazine and worked in fine art publishing. His love of cricket and jazz made him a regular face at Lord’s and he was friends with many of the jazz greats who frequented Soho in the wild days of the Fifties and Sixties.
In later years he was often to be found at The Blenheim on Loudoun Road, and later The Clifton.
Rex Warrick, 69, a former political speech writer, said: “He was very quick-witted, and one of the most vitally alive people I have ever met. When you heard the chimes of midnight in Bob’s company you could count yourself fortunate.”
Coroner Dr Andrew Reid said: “Mr Peacock had started to suffer from short-term memory problems that was causing him some degree of anxiety. He timed his actions to maximise the chances that he would be struck by the train. Sadly, my only conclusion is that Robert Peacock took his own life.”
Mr Peacock is survived by his wife and a son from his first marriage. |
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