I, too, was an avid watcher of Cartoon Time – he had great tips on draughtmanship and introduced me to the geniuses Chuck Jones and Fred Quimby. Of all the celebs who were prosecuted in the Yewtree era, he was the only one I thought would be cleared. I was really very shocked and disappointed when this turned out not to be the case. Glad his funeral has been done already and the media prurience will be kept to a minimum and, more importantly, his victims can move on with their lives.
My wife and I met him quite a number of years ago well before the realisation that he was a sexual predator.
Have to say that he was quite charming and very approachable.
Like many of his ilk I suspect he lived a double life.
Interesting to hear that he was so conspicuously a predator, @mikethep.
I remember that he was held in very high regard by many of us on this site (myself included). It was very easy (for me at least) to see that Saville was a scumbag. But Rolf was a very different case. Many of us here thought the world of him.
Amen to this. How disappointing that someone who was so gifted was also so flawed in the absolute worst way. As in many other cases, it’s become hard to separate the talents and the individual, but I will always consider Two Little Boys as one of my favourite songs ever.
I had to do some research when I saw the headlines today branding his as a convicted paedophile. My memory was that he was convicted for various lecherous activities on adult women. I see that the main offences were against a friend of his daughters, starting when she was 13 (he claims 18). Some of the other charges relating to minors were ultimately dismissed or struck off. Regardless of Rolf’s protestations, I think there is a pretty consistent pattern of reported behaviour that makes his guilt likely.
This was always a sad case for me, as my dad was one of the young Aussies who Rolf used to kick around with in London in the late 50s, and I believe they even roomed together for a brief period. He only had warm memories of Rolf, and years later during a chance encounter, Rolf expressed the same for him.
I think his guilt is proven, rather than likely, in legal terms at least.
My understanding is that Harris was convicted of 12 separate counts of indecent assault, several of them against underage girls, one as young as 8. One count was subsequently overturned.
He still has multiple convictions for assaulting underage girls.
Had the same thought and then read Podicle’s post again.
Pretty sure he was referring to RH’s pattern of behavior as pointing towards his “likely guilt” in the 18 cases that were dismissed/struck off without reaching court.
Yes, apologies for not being clear. The charge against the 8-year old was later struck off but what I was trying to say was that there were likely many other cases besides those he was found guilty of, based on the uniformity of his reported behaviour.
I was in St Ives on holiday with my partner once and we walked past a famous fish restaurant, (difficult to get reservations for) one evening. Rolf Harris was inside – and it looked like the court of a mediaeval king, surrounded by respectful companions, he resembled a guru with his cult – there was an almost a hushed awe about his presence. My partner had no idea who he was, and I don’t remember now whether I felt impressed or revolted by such respect shown.
I remember the quasi-irony with which he was treated in the 90s with the Stairway To Heaven wobbleboard cover, the Glastonbury appearances, the portrait of the Queen. Probably a lot of hindsight here, but I think it was an uneasy transactional arrangement, accommodated in a reverse snobbery kind of way – “it’s not really my thing but it must be good because he reflects popular taste and isn’t one of the elite” sort of thing.
With his over-eager heavy breathing, I never had the same affection for him as for Tony Hart. Please may HIS reputation never be besmirched.
The very first book the late Mrs thep wrote was an introduction to great art for kids called Looking at Pictures with Rolf Harris, published in 1978. He had absolutely nothing to do with it – she chose the art, wrote the text, did the picture research and put the whole thing together. He added his trademark Rolf/kangaroo cartoon here a there. They never met – perhaps fortunately – but he did sign a copy for her. “Hope you like the end product,” he wrote. “I wrote the fucking end product,” was her reaction. I expect the bottom’s dropped out of the market for signed Rolf Harris first editions…
I guess only the good die young.
Neck cancer is a new one on me.
Like it or not, he was part of my TV childhood
I loved Rolf’s Cartoon Club. He came across as such a nice fella too.
I, too, was an avid watcher of Cartoon Time – he had great tips on draughtmanship and introduced me to the geniuses Chuck Jones and Fred Quimby. Of all the celebs who were prosecuted in the Yewtree era, he was the only one I thought would be cleared. I was really very shocked and disappointed when this turned out not to be the case. Glad his funeral has been done already and the media prurience will be kept to a minimum and, more importantly, his victims can move on with their lives.
John Prine was afflicted with it in the late 1990s and his face was permanently affected after he had to have huge amounts of cancerous tissue removed
Cancer of the head and neck. It’s what Danny Baker had, and with gruelling treatment recovered from.
I wonder if he asked the doctors ‘Can you tell what it is yet?’
Will they tan his hide now he’s dead, Fred?
Died two weeks ago it now turns out and cremated – rather appropriate in view of any reckoning he might face if there really is an afterlife
I’m glad he lived long enough to be found out and his victims vindicated.
Good riddance
My wife and I met him quite a number of years ago well before the realisation that he was a sexual predator.
Have to say that he was quite charming and very approachable.
Like many of his ilk I suspect he lived a double life.
I met him about 15 years ago and it was quite obvious he was a sexual predator. He groped the (female) finance director.
Interesting to hear that he was so conspicuously a predator, @mikethep.
I remember that he was held in very high regard by many of us on this site (myself included). It was very easy (for me at least) to see that Saville was a scumbag. But Rolf was a very different case. Many of us here thought the world of him.
What a fall from grace that was!
Amen to this. How disappointing that someone who was so gifted was also so flawed in the absolute worst way. As in many other cases, it’s become hard to separate the talents and the individual, but I will always consider Two Little Boys as one of my favourite songs ever.
@Black_Type
You are the late Margaret Thatcher and I claim
my back-dated and index-linked £5
Nah, her fave was How Much Is That Doggy In The Window?
The bastard never apologised to his victims, good riddance to the creep.
Rolf’s cremated remains are one lot of ashes the Aussies don’t
want to end up taking home this summer
Very good sir!
I had to do some research when I saw the headlines today branding his as a convicted paedophile. My memory was that he was convicted for various lecherous activities on adult women. I see that the main offences were against a friend of his daughters, starting when she was 13 (he claims 18). Some of the other charges relating to minors were ultimately dismissed or struck off. Regardless of Rolf’s protestations, I think there is a pretty consistent pattern of reported behaviour that makes his guilt likely.
This was always a sad case for me, as my dad was one of the young Aussies who Rolf used to kick around with in London in the late 50s, and I believe they even roomed together for a brief period. He only had warm memories of Rolf, and years later during a chance encounter, Rolf expressed the same for him.
I think his guilt is proven, rather than likely, in legal terms at least.
My understanding is that Harris was convicted of 12 separate counts of indecent assault, several of them against underage girls, one as young as 8. One count was subsequently overturned.
He still has multiple convictions for assaulting underage girls.
Had the same thought and then read Podicle’s post again.
Pretty sure he was referring to RH’s pattern of behavior as pointing towards his “likely guilt” in the 18 cases that were dismissed/struck off without reaching court.
👍🏼 I assumed the same, but just wanted to clarify.
Yes, apologies for not being clear. The charge against the 8-year old was later struck off but what I was trying to say was that there were likely many other cases besides those he was found guilty of, based on the uniformity of his reported behaviour.
Good stuff – totally agree.
My nephew was obsessed with Pet
Rescue when he was a lad.
He’s a veterinarian now ……
Rolf was on Animal Hospital, though. 😉
I was in St Ives on holiday with my partner once and we walked past a famous fish restaurant, (difficult to get reservations for) one evening. Rolf Harris was inside – and it looked like the court of a mediaeval king, surrounded by respectful companions, he resembled a guru with his cult – there was an almost a hushed awe about his presence. My partner had no idea who he was, and I don’t remember now whether I felt impressed or revolted by such respect shown.
I remember the quasi-irony with which he was treated in the 90s with the Stairway To Heaven wobbleboard cover, the Glastonbury appearances, the portrait of the Queen. Probably a lot of hindsight here, but I think it was an uneasy transactional arrangement, accommodated in a reverse snobbery kind of way – “it’s not really my thing but it must be good because he reflects popular taste and isn’t one of the elite” sort of thing.
With his over-eager heavy breathing, I never had the same affection for him as for Tony Hart. Please may HIS reputation never be besmirched.
Hi Sal – would “quasi-irony” be more or less ironic than irony?
Yours, confused.
Alanis might know.
Arf!
With ‘quasi’, I’m kind of saying I have a hunch, but I’m not sure if it rings any bells.
@salwarpe
“…court of some medieval king…”
Sounds like it could have been the Court of King Caractacus you were just passing by
The very first book the late Mrs thep wrote was an introduction to great art for kids called Looking at Pictures with Rolf Harris, published in 1978. He had absolutely nothing to do with it – she chose the art, wrote the text, did the picture research and put the whole thing together. He added his trademark Rolf/kangaroo cartoon here a there. They never met – perhaps fortunately – but he did sign a copy for her. “Hope you like the end product,” he wrote. “I wrote the fucking end product,” was her reaction. I expect the bottom’s dropped out of the market for signed Rolf Harris first editions…
One would hope so – but then Hitler’s art still gets sold at (D-list) auction houses.
Still think ‘Sun Arise’ is a work of genius. It’s Rolf’s ‘Guernica’.
@Vulpes-Vulpes
Doesn’t quite compensate for all The Crying Boys he left behind