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In case you haven't seen it I'm going to post below an article by his daughter Emma
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Emma Freud: My father, Clement Freud, remembered
It's a year since Clement Freud intellectual maverick, broadcaster, writer, politican and chef died. just before his 85th birthday. His daughter Emma Freud recalls the emotional turmoil leading up to his funeral and her joy at discovering how much he was loved
* The Guardian, Saturday 24 April 2010
Is it possible to have a good death? If it is, my father's death was good. He was 84, and hated being old. He was many stone overweight, his legs hurt constantly, he was slow and lame, and things were going on in the waterworks area, with which I refused to engage. For the last 10 years of his life, he was actively waiting for his death. He'd spent 70 years as a chef, soldier, journalist, showman, MP, knight, author and raconteur he'd had a big, bold, adventurous life and he was basically over it. Every birthday, rather than receive a present, he'd ask me to come to his flat and take something of his away.
So when he was told by a doctor in February 2009 that he needed a triple heart bypass, he took the news calmly. As he'd planned a birthday party for himself on 24 April, he asked for the procedure to be delayed until after he'd turned 85. The party invitation said: "7.30 for 8pm though it may be wise to keep an eye on the obituary columns."
He had made some decisions about how he wanted his death to be. He wasn't going to leave any money to his children, as he thought we all had enough. He was keen that someone made sure Mum had enough food she liked in the fridge. And he didn't want Nicholas Parsons, who he had been torturing on Radio 4's Just a Minute for 41 years, coming to his funeral.
In the week he died, he travelled 400 miles around the UK, wrote three articles, and did his last Just a Minute. On Wednesday 15 April, he was at home with my mother writing an article for the Racing Post about the race meeting in Exeter he'd attended the previous day. He was mid-sentence in the first paragraph, when he had a massive heart attack. My mother came in to find him still in his chair, with his head slumped to one side. He had just ended. The last words he typed were "and in God's good time
It's a year since Clement Freud intellectual maverick, broadcaster, writer, politican and chef died. just before his 85th birthday. His daughter Emma Freud recalls the emotional turmoil leading up to his funeral and her joy at discovering how much he was loved
* The Guardian, Saturday 24 April 2010
Is it possible to have a good death? If it is, my father's death was good. He was 84, and hated being old. He was many stone overweight, his legs hurt constantly, he was slow and lame, and things were going on in the waterworks area, with which I refused to engage. For the last 10 years of his life, he was actively waiting for his death. He'd spent 70 years as a chef, soldier, journalist, showman, MP, knight, author and raconteur he'd had a big, bold, adventurous life and he was basically over it. Every birthday, rather than receive a present, he'd ask me to come to his flat and take something of his away.
So when he was told by a doctor in February 2009 that he needed a triple heart bypass, he took the news calmly. As he'd planned a birthday party for himself on 24 April, he asked for the procedure to be delayed until after he'd turned 85. The party invitation said: "7.30 for 8pm though it may be wise to keep an eye on the obituary columns."
He had made some decisions about how he wanted his death to be. He wasn't going to leave any money to his children, as he thought we all had enough. He was keen that someone made sure Mum had enough food she liked in the fridge. And he didn't want Nicholas Parsons, who he had been torturing on Radio 4's Just a Minute for 41 years, coming to his funeral.
In the week he died, he travelled 400 miles around the UK, wrote three articles, and did his last Just a Minute. On Wednesday 15 April, he was at home with my mother writing an article for the Racing Post about the race meeting in Exeter he'd attended the previous day. He was mid-sentence in the first paragraph, when he had a massive heart attack. My mother came in to find him still in his chair, with his head slumped to one side. He had just ended. The last words he typed were "and in God's good time
Thank you Cherry for posting I really miss his Saturday column.
We will never read his like again :(
RIP Clement, have a jam doughnut Emma, you deserve it ;)
RIP Clement, have a jam doughnut Emma, you deserve it ;)
Always pick up his on course book when i fancy a giggle, a legend, imo.
a great bloke i loved reading his articles and following his selections
What a life he led. Sadly missed but rightly celebrated.
A life genuinely lived to the full, if i manage a 10th of what he did i'll have had a good life.
He always said Monika Lewinsky misheard Bill Clinton,All he said was Sack My Cook. Legend!
Im reading his book at the moment...a wonderfully entertaining read..thanks for posting this tribute from his daughter
hiis racing book made me laugh so much,beg steal buy a copy . A truely funny man who had a great wit.Loved the idea that he backed himself at 33/1 to be liberal candidate,then told all the voters to back him,vote and collect
an incredible man. MP, chef, raconteur, comic genius etc.. What happened to his ilk?
^Totally agree - what a terrible shame he was never, ever happy.
A fitting tribute to a unique witty man. Truly missed!
Flo's Fabulous Foods at Southwell had a copy of his rave review for their rare roast beef - so whenever Suvvers is on I think of this unique man
Very witty man..... loved his columns and his book of RP articles.
His column was always the highlight of each Saturday's Racing Post. A very touching tribute from his daughter as well. Rest in peace, Sir Clement.
jewish,irish,polish.A great example of why we should not prejudge immigrants
french force 24 Apr 21:33
He always said Monika Lewinsky misheard Bill Clinton,All he said was Sack My Cook. Legend!
lol :)
Had a pint with him once, when he was a mp, you knew you was with someone special. great man, great life.
He always said Monika Lewinsky misheard Bill Clinton,All he said was Sack My Cook. Legend!
lol :)
Had a pint with him once, when he was a mp, you knew you was with someone special. great man, great life.
.
I always remember seeing him in the legendary buffet car on the train between Brighton and Victoria, in the queue, waiting for his bacon sandwich......
He was a very small man but so large in so many ways.
B-)
I always remember seeing him in the legendary buffet car on the train between Brighton and Victoria, in the queue, waiting for his bacon sandwich......
He was a very small man but so large in so many ways.
B-)
Thanks for posting that, Cherry. Probably the best thing I have ever read on this forum.
a worthy tribute and agree that he could be very humourous but also a tendency for sarcasm and a sense of always knowing best, like most of us good points and bad, not a saint.
A lovely piece on a fine man. One of those people you wish you'd met.
thanks for posting, cherry
i wonder whether the family decided to invite Nicholas Parsons or whether he gatecrashed the gig?!
i wonder whether the family decided to invite Nicholas Parsons or whether he gatecrashed the gig?!
remember that noise. my daughter made it when i told her about her mum. the memory of that sound still moves me to tears. as this article did.
I'm glad this has given pleasure to readers, as it did to me.
I'm keeping it 'alive' for those back tomorrow!
I'm keeping it 'alive' for those back tomorrow!
P...L...E...A....S...E.................................................!
thanks Cherry,agree with the majority of people on this thread. got his book for xmas and am keeping it for my holiday read,looking forward to it even more now.
Never read any of his columns. Will no doubt pick up his racing book when out in paperback.
Finished the book of his articles not long ago.
Tremendous read but short on racing anecdotes...might be time for the RP to bring out a collection of his Saturday columns?
A great wit very much missed.
Tremendous read but short on racing anecdotes...might be time for the RP to bring out a collection of his Saturday columns?
A great wit very much missed.
Emma , another credit to your father, and a chip off the old block for sure.
i was watching an old terry thomas film for the first time last night.it was called make mine mink.a seriously dreadful film,but wat facinated me was to see a cameo by clement fraud playing a casino croupier.how apt ;)
Thanks Cherry.
Wonderful.. brought a tear to my eye. :)
Wonderful.. brought a tear to my eye. :)
Loved the story about when he was adopted as the Liberal Part candidate for Ely.
He went to the adoption meeting, and there were three candidates.
The selection committee consisted of the usual local party officers, plus a few keen party members - making 13 party people present in total.
The committee decided that it looked a little poor with only 13 people in the room, especially as the press were likely to be in attendance, as they had a celebrity applicant.
According to Clement - the chairman then went across the road to an Old People's Home and asked if any of them would like to come to the meeting - there would be tea and cakes afterwards.
18 of the residents then duly trooped across the road.
After he was interviewed Clement then left the meeting, thinking that he had performed poorly, and caught the train back to London.
The following day the chairman of the Ely Liberal Party phoned him and said ...
"You did not stay."
"No," replied Clement.
"Would you like to know the result?" asked the chairman.
"Well, yes," said Clement.
"You won," said the chairman
"Oh, how remarkable," retorted Freud
"Would you like to know what the voting was?" added the chairman
"Yes," said Clement.
"18 to 13." replied the chairman.
He went to the adoption meeting, and there were three candidates.
The selection committee consisted of the usual local party officers, plus a few keen party members - making 13 party people present in total.
The committee decided that it looked a little poor with only 13 people in the room, especially as the press were likely to be in attendance, as they had a celebrity applicant.
According to Clement - the chairman then went across the road to an Old People's Home and asked if any of them would like to come to the meeting - there would be tea and cakes afterwards.
18 of the residents then duly trooped across the road.
After he was interviewed Clement then left the meeting, thinking that he had performed poorly, and caught the train back to London.
The following day the chairman of the Ely Liberal Party phoned him and said ...
"You did not stay."
"No," replied Clement.
"Would you like to know the result?" asked the chairman.
"Well, yes," said Clement.
"You won," said the chairman
"Oh, how remarkable," retorted Freud
"Would you like to know what the voting was?" added the chairman
"Yes," said Clement.
"18 to 13." replied the chairman.
thanks
brought to the top of this page - as plenty of people would miss it at the bottom of the first page
-------------------------------------
Loved the story about when he was adopted as the Liberal Part candidate for Ely.
He went to the adoption meeting, and there were three candidates.
The selection committee consisted of the usual local party officers, plus a few keen party members - making 13 party people present in total.
The committee decided that it looked a little poor with only 13 people in the room, especially as the press were likely to be in attendance, as they had a celebrity applicant.
According to Clement - the chairman then went across the road to an Old People's Home and asked if any of them would like to come to the meeting - there would be tea and cakes afterwards.
18 of the residents then duly trooped across the road.
After he was interviewed Clement then left the meeting, thinking that he had performed poorly, and caught the train back to London.
The following day the chairman of the Ely Liberal Party phoned him and said ...
"You did not stay."
"No," replied Clement.
"Would you like to know the result?" asked the chairman.
"Well, yes," said Clement.
"You won," said the chairman
"Oh, how remarkable," retorted Freud
"Would you like to know what the voting was?" added the chairman
"Yes," said Clement.
"18 to 13." replied the chairman.
brought to the top of this page - as plenty of people would miss it at the bottom of the first page
-------------------------------------
Loved the story about when he was adopted as the Liberal Part candidate for Ely.
He went to the adoption meeting, and there were three candidates.
The selection committee consisted of the usual local party officers, plus a few keen party members - making 13 party people present in total.
The committee decided that it looked a little poor with only 13 people in the room, especially as the press were likely to be in attendance, as they had a celebrity applicant.
According to Clement - the chairman then went across the road to an Old People's Home and asked if any of them would like to come to the meeting - there would be tea and cakes afterwards.
18 of the residents then duly trooped across the road.
After he was interviewed Clement then left the meeting, thinking that he had performed poorly, and caught the train back to London.
The following day the chairman of the Ely Liberal Party phoned him and said ...
"You did not stay."
"No," replied Clement.
"Would you like to know the result?" asked the chairman.
"Well, yes," said Clement.
"You won," said the chairman
"Oh, how remarkable," retorted Freud
"Would you like to know what the voting was?" added the chairman
"Yes," said Clement.
"18 to 13." replied the chairman.
great thread ...lovely tribute ....a great eccentric wit...he copied no one
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