From Jonathan Downes:

Ian Squibbs told me about half an hour ago that he had heard a rumour that Tony “Doc” Shiels, the quondam Wizard of the Western World died this morning. After my first marriage ended and I had a massive falling out with my parents, Tony became a father figure to me, although he always denied it and told me to stop talking “fockin’ bollocks”.

He was probably the main reason that I was never taken as seriously as I probably should’ve been in certain cryptozoological circles, because some of the more humourless members of such circles, disapprove of drunken shenanigans involving witches and alcohol. When my first marriage ended, Tony told me that both I and my ex-wife were “very dear” to him, and now it is time for me to say the same thing about him.

I am fighting back the tears as I write this. I have just spoken to Kate, one of his daughters, and she confirmed the news, and sent me this. I will write more about him in due course but sufficient to say that the world is now a much poorer place than it was 24 hours ago.

God bless you Tony.

 

 

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