David Haldane, renowned cartoonist for The Times newspaper, has made a major contribution of original cartoons to the artwork on display at St Mary’s Inn near Morpeth.
David, born in nearby Blyth and now resident in Morpeth, studied graphic design at Newcastle Polytechnic. His career as a freelancer cartoonist began in 1980 when he started producing work for the now defunct Punch magazine, with a full page comic strip called ‘Agent Orange’ and his work featured annually in Pick of Punch. Since the early 80’s David has worked for many national newspapers. Over the years his work has also appeared in Private Eye and featured in the 2006 Private Eye touring exhibition.
As well as publications and newspapers, David contributed short satirical sketches to the second series of Spitting Image. He now draws daily for The Times, producing the page one cartoon section as well as topical cartoons for the main news section of the paper.
By their very nature, news stories can be hard hitting and political but David, a relaxed and sociable character, often pens an animal (his favourites include penguins and polar bears!) to demonstrate the story behind the news headline. Very cleverly, one sketch with a speech bubble or two can offer a light hearted reflection on a difficult subject matter.
David said ‘I’ve worked on many newspapers and magazines over the years but I can honestly say that producing cartoons for St. Mary’s Inn and Jesmond Dene House has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my career. It is always a thrill to see the work on display and I intend to refresh the cartoons from time to time to add a bit of topicality.’
Owner of St Mary’s Inn Peter Candler said ‘David is a great friend to St Mary’s Inn and indeed our sister property Jesmond Dene House in Newcastle. We are very proud to display his cartoons in the pub and the hotel, most of which are a wry take on the world of hospitality.’
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