THIS week, LookBack pays tribute to Southport father, photographer and football fan John Garfield Dawes.
After Mr Dawes’s death on May 25, his family found a stack of snaps previously unseen by the public.
From boxing legend Muhammad Ali to golfer Tony Jacklin to tennis great John McEnroe to the drama of the Grand National at Aintree, Mr Dawes’s family wanted to share some of the iconic images with LookBack readers.
Leading sports photographer and larger than life dad-of-three, Mr Dawes lived in the Hesketh Park area of Southport for more than 30 years.
Friends with Liverpool Football Club stars such as Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen, Mr Dawes was actually a dedicated Everton fan!
He began his photography career at 15 when he joined John Mountfield Photography and then moved to the Widnes Weekly News in 1963 followed by Mercury Press Agency in Liverpool and Express Newspapers in 1970.
Eight years later the Daily Star was launched with Mr Dawes as its Chief Sports Photographer.
His Daily Mirror colleague Bradley Ormesher (corr), also from Southport, knew Mr Dawes from childhood and worked with him for many years.
He said: “John had the gift of the gab and could make anybody do anything.
“He got Paul Gascoigne to dress up as Braveheart with the full costume and his face painted and he got Paul Ince to dress up as a centurion.
“He was a popular guy – Peter Beardsley, Kenny Dalglish, Kevin Keegan and the Football Association have been on the phone asking about him.”
During his working life he was caught up in the infamous Bloody Sunday violence in Ulster in 1972 and the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster.
His passionate pictures earned him a British Picture Editors’ Award.
Brendan, Mr Dawes’s eldest son, recalls his dad’s exciting, spontaneous attitude to life.
He said: “I remember one time when I was at school, dad turned up and told the teacher I had the dentist.
“We left school and in the car I remember saying ‘I don’t have the dentist’ and he laughed and said ‘I know - I’m taking you to see Evil Knievel’.”
Mr Dawes leaves behind his wife Marian, 64, son Brendan, 40, son John, 37, daughter Amanda, 35, and granddaughters Lily and Daisy.
l To see more pictures taken by John Dawes go to the official website www.johndawespictures.com
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Matthew Ormesher wrote...
WOW! The memories lol I just stumbled upon this site and got all goosebumps when I saw Johns Picture. Bradley Ormesher is my brother.
My Dad (Harry) used to take me to Johns quite a bit when I was younger. I remember John being a great bloke and only have happy memories.
I also used to get taken to see Evil K. and I met Ali once, he gave me some custom made boxing puppets.... god knows where they are now :( The memories..... wow.
To John Junior.......... Remember me ???? hee hee Get in touch and let me know how lifes treated you ;) matthew.ormesher@btinternet.com
Posted by: Matthew Ormesher | September 28, 2007 7:57 PM