- Born
- Died
- Birth nameWilliam Francis Deedes
- Nickname
- Grand Old Man of Fleet Street
- Bill Deedes was born on June 1, 1913 in Saltwood Castle, Hythe, Kent, England, UK. He was married to Evelyn Hilary Branfoot. He died on August 17, 2007 in Kent, England, UK.
- SpouseEvelyn Hilary Branfoot(1942 - May 5, 2004) (her death, 5 children)
- He frequently used mixed metaphors when speaking, such as "We've got to nail our matchbox to the mast". These were dubbed "Billisms" by his fellow journalists.
- Veteran British newspaper editor and politician.
- His full title is Baron Deedes of Adlington.
- Editor of The Daily Telegraph (1974-1986)
- In 1974, he became editor of the Daily Telegraph, making him the only man to have been both a Cabinet minister and the editor of a national newspaper. He returned to reporting in 1986 as a special correspondent and columnist. According to the Telegraph, he wrote his final columns on a laptop from his sickbed, a few weeks before his death.
- In 1950, he was elected Conservative MP for Ashford, succeeding Edward Percy. He represented the seat for 24 years. In 1962, he was appointed to the Cabinet by PM Harold Macmillan. He served two years as information minister, charged with improving the government's image.
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