Ashley Ashwood
- 66 years old
- Born Jul 18, 1942
- Died Nov 06, 2008
- London, United Kingdom
About
Photographer who put subjects at ease
Ashley Ashwood, who has died aged 66, was one of the Financial Times's most resourceful and admired photographers during an association with the paper lasting more than 30 years.
Ashwood was a committed professional, wedded to the idea of taking the best possible series of photographs in whatever the situation and irrespective of whether the subject was a high-ranking politician or the head of a small company turning out engineering widgets.
One of his greatest gifts was putting his subjects at ease so they would be shown in a relaxed and often revealing light. Ashwood managed this most memorably with many leading political figures around the world, including Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair, prime ministers, as well as Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe, and Richard von Weizsäcker, then German president
Ashwood had a lugubrious sense of humour that enabled him to cope with experiences that could be stressful. He was a frequent visitor to Africa on tough assignments that tested his tenacity to the full.
In one episode in Lagos in 1993, he was visited in his hotel room at 3am by members of the Nigerian security forces who whisked him to the airport and threatened him with deportation. Ashwood had the presence of mind to leave a note for his FT colleagues, referring to his captors, in his best dead-pan style, as "these gents".
Ashwood was born and grew up in New Cross, south-east London. After leaving school at 16, he worked as an apprentice photographic printer at the Daily Mirror. Helped by his technical training, he moved into taking pictures as a freelance. Ashwood's association with the FT started in 1970 when he joined the newspaper as a photographer, initially on a freelance contract that turned later in the 1970s into a staff job.
Although the staff post ended in 1996, Ashwood continued taking pictures for the newspaper until 2004. In 1965, Ashwood married Linda Holman, and the couple had two sons, Lee and Ian. He is survived by Barbara Bourroughs, his partner of the past decade.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
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Lia Remembers
Lia Guerra Dec 07, 2008
Ashley was VERY fond of Texas barbeque since the very first time my father introduced him to the Salt Lick in the Texas hill country. The Ashwoods' summer visits to our place in Fischer, Texas were the highlight of my father's last few years -- Daddy used to start saying in about February, "When are the English coming?"
Well, that night at Dick's, Ashley was all the way at one end of the long table and Norris and I were at the other. There was a lot of noise and laughter, and Norris was hard-pressed to understand a word these Brits were saying. He just stared in awe at this world-traveled Englishman, Ashley, eating a rib with barbeque sauce literally from ear to ear on this face. At one point, Ashley took the rib bone and used it to wipe the sauce from his cheeks. Norris was 100% Texan as well as a Paris-trained French Chef. He took great pride in telling this story over and over again to pretentious foodies we'd meet.
All those little memories of Ashley's zest for life will never be lost in my mind. I find them every now and then and they not only make me smile, but they become expert tour guides to many other good memories..........
Ash brought sparkle into Glen Moriston
Jim and Evelyn Hampson Nov 17, 2008
It was a very sad moment for us when we heard the news of Ashley’s passing
Ashley was a man full of life and good conversation.
We first met Ash at Dalchreichart where we had both built houses around the same time. We have many fond memories of our time there, especially of visiting Ash and Barbara’s Highland setting on his 60th Birthday. He was so excited that he seemed oblivious to the ministrations of the demon midges (July being their favourite month too) whilst busy at the BBQ
Ash brought a ray of light to Glen Moriston.
We both moved on from our ‘Hielan Hames’ to separate parts of the UK and we were delighted to hear of Ash and Barb settling back in London
When I took up digital photography there was no one who encouraged me more than Ash. We have therefore chosen an image of Torridon (for this website) in Ash’s memory
Ash was so proud of his Grand Children Amelia and Carmen and frequently sent us photographs (taken with his magic touch) of these two beautiful children who clearly loved their Grandad. He spoke of his wonderful times with them
We will really miss Ash.
Our thoughts are with Barbara, Lee Ian and Isobel at this sad time
Love
Jim and Evelyn Hampson
Apologies to Tony Blair
krahder Nov 13, 2008
When I last saw Ash, I told him the story of a dreadful train trip I had taken the previous winter. 15 hours in a Soviet train, with not one second of sleep, primarily due to the blast furnace heating system that guaranteed a minimum temperature of 32 degrees and 90% humidity in our sauna-like coupes.
The situation could not be remedied by opening our windows, since they were sealed shut.
"British Rail have done the same thing here!" said Ash.
"Really? That's news to me!" I replied, not realizing that I was being set up.
"Oh yeah," said Ash. "They began sealing the windows because so many people were throwing themselves off the trains because of what Tony Blair has done to this country!"
Thanks, Ash. Glad I could provide you with an opportunity for a great, impromptu joke.
Photographic memories
James Nov 13, 2008