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A life given to journalism
By: Al Taylor, London
Published date: 18/7/2003
Richard Brooke Wild
I met Rich on his first day at Jesus College, Cambridge. He had uncharacteristically short hair, a legacy of his gap year spent in the Army as an officer. I was starting my second year and my house mate was smugly introducing her new handsome ‘college son’ to anyone she could find.
He made a big impact. He was invited into every college society imaginable, acted in plays, played for the college first XV rugby (eventually winning the inter-college league) and trained with the university under 21 team. His success on the river was rapid and spectacular - he rowed in the college 1st May VIII in his first year and stroked the boat in his second – narrowly failing to become head boat on both occasions. The last time I rowed with Rich, he had insisted on wearing a tea-cosy/woolly hat in all the races – fortunately this was a short lived affection, but his enthusiasm for the college all-in-one never waned and it became an integral part of his attire at the wrong end of the washing cycle.
I know several girls who have described him as ‘the most handsome man I’ve ever met’. He had his fair share of attention from the ladies and had an enviable track record of girlfriends. His false tooth made him look fierce on the rugby pitch but never dented his appeal off it; in fact he was distinctly upset when, at one dinner, a girl asked ‘ Who can remove a body part?’, and his tooth was outdone by some other bloke who removed an eye.
After university, with a BA and Mphil in History, Rich, with his usual self-assurance, did his own thing. He was fascinated with photography and won several prizes for his work. He tutored in History and helped set up a company, ‘Oxbridge Interview’, He then lived in Paris for three months before working for ITN as a researcher for channel 5 news as well as occasionally writing and supplying photographs for the Guardian and Observer. It was at ITN that his enthusiasm to be at fore of things grew; in his spare time he would go out with the reporting teams and learn how to use the camera. He was in Iraq for the excitement of uncovering new stories and photographing events as they happen. It was the front seat option. Rich had the journalistic desire to go the extra distance for the right picture – as demonstrated by a surfing holiday in Wales last Easter when he waded deep into the salty sea water to get the best photos of everyone. We laughed as he tried to keep his new camera clear of the crashing waves.
Rich managed to evolve from the well groomed head boy at Sedburgh to the occasionally scruffy, generally ill-shaven, laid back character we loved. He was never far from his large headphones and overgrown dufflecoat and he would drag his feet as he walked around. He liked his bed and could spend hours sleeping or reading in it. It was never the wrong time to talk to him and he would always listen – though his achievements were many and impressive, his life revolved around his friends and family. He would slowly puff away on his home rolled cigarette and his manner would make you reveal all your deepest secrets and thoughts.
Rich would have been 25 in September. It scared me that someone so confident, brave and accomplished could be so young. It devastates me that such an amazing friend could have died so tragically and wastefully. We will all miss him dearly.
Al Taylor, London
Published date: 18/7/2003
Author: Al Taylor, London
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