Sun, 3 November, 2024


Garth Gibbs

Posted: May 11th, 2012

GARTH Gibbs, below, one of the most colourful characters of the old Fleet Street, died in August, 2011, aged 75, after a long battle with cancer.

South African Garth came to London in the 60s, having worked on the Rand Daily Mail. He was a tall, handsome young hack whose silver tongue opened the doors of dukes and dustmen alike.

His first jobs in London were on the Evening News and at Reuters, but his charm led him to the Mirror, where he established himself as a go-anywhere, do-anything reporter for more than 20 years.

He covered the royals for a while, and his “cheeky chappie” demeanour was said to have amused the Windsors.
He then specialised (if that’s the word for it) in the Miss World contest and would invariably tip the winner, much to the despair of Ladbrokes.

Later he had his own daily page, Gibbs Gossip, which allowed him to exploit the contacts made thanks to his easy, manner.

He is survived by his third wife Louise Montgomery, his four children, Garry, Warren, Russell and Juliet, and stepdaughter Daskar.

By BRIAN RIMMER and REVEL BARKER

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.