Obituaries: Joe Carter, Ian Williamson, & Ron Stone

Joe Carter

We are saddened to report the death in September of Joe Carter at the age of 85. He joined the old Camberwell branch of the Party in 1963, later transferring to Haringey branch. In the 1960s and 70s he was active as an outdoor speaker (in particular at Tower Hill and Lincoln’s Inn), indoor lecturer, writer (as ‘JEF’) and as a party candidate in local elections in north London. Born in Switzerland and having lived and worked in Belgium, he was fluent in both Italian and French. He worked, thanks to his knowledge of languages, as a night telephonist in the overseas section of the Post Office. Our condolences go to Janet, a Party member, and his family.

Ian Williamson

We have also learned of the death in September of Ian Williamson in Inverness where he hailed from. He joined the Party in 1966 after hearing outdoor speakers in Glasgow. Like many others he moved to London, where he worked as a barman – as he did when later he moved to Japan. His experiences there led him to write ‘The Kilt and the Kimono: Japan Through the Eyes of A Scot’, published in 1987. Basically a book on Japanese life and culture, it also put the socialist case, looking forward to a time when the world ‘will be rid of a system in which a minority class own the means of wealth production and distribution, and give way to a system in which all that is on and in the earth will be the common property of all mankind irrespective of race, colour or creed.’

Ron Stone

A correction to an unfortunate error to last month’s obituary  –

“Hi,

The September Socialist Standard and its obituary of Ron Stone states that he was a poet and wrote the poem ‘Wage Restraint’ which was published in the Eighties. That particular poem was actually written by Roger Woddis under the title of, ‘How They Solved the Economic Crisis’ and was published in either the New Statesman or Punch. It later appeared in the book, The Woddis Collection first published in 1978 by Barrie & Jenkins 24 Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX.

Richard Layton