Bill Tidy facts for kids

William Edward Tidy (born October 9, 1933 – died March 11, 2023) was a famous British cartoonist, writer, and TV personality. He was best known for his funny comic strips. Bill Tidy was honored with an MBE in 2000 for his great work in journalism.

He also did a lot of charity work, especially for the Lord's Taverners, a sports charity, for over 30 years. Bill Tidy was very proud of his roots in Northern England. Many of his most popular cartoons, like The Cloggies and The Fosdyke Saga, showed an exaggerated version of that area.

Bill Tidy's Early Life

Bill Tidy was born in Tranmere, a part of Birkenhead, Cheshire, on October 9, 1933. He grew up in Liverpool and went to school there until he was 15. His very first cartoon was printed in his school magazine.

After working in an office, Tidy joined the Royal Engineers in 1952. He sold his first cartoon to a Japanese newspaper in 1955. That same year, he left the army. He then worked at an advertising agency in Liverpool, drawing pictures for ads. Even without special art training, he started selling cartoons on his own. Soon, he became a full-time professional cartoonist.

His Cartoon Career

As more people saw his work, it started appearing in big newspapers like the Daily Sketch and Daily Mirror. Bill Tidy moved to London and helped start the British Cartoonists' Association.

He is famous for his cartoon strips:

• The Cloggies ran from 1967 to 1981 in the magazine Private Eye.
• The Fosdyke Saga was printed daily in the Daily Mirror from 1971 to 1984. This strip was a funny copy, or parody, of a serious TV show called The Forsyte Saga. But instead of rich families, Tidy's story was about people in the industrial north. It even became a radio show and a play! Tidy later brought The Fosdyke Saga back on his own website.

Bill Tidy also drew cartoons for many other newspapers and magazines. These included New Scientist (where his strip Grimbledon Down ran for 24 years), What's Brewing, and Punch. He also wrote 20 books and drew pictures for 70 others.

On TV and Radio

Bill Tidy appeared on many TV shows. You might have seen him on Countdown, Watercolour Challenge, Through the Keyhole, Blankety Blank, and Countryfile. He was a frequent guest in 'Dictionary Corner' on Countdown between 1985 and 1993.

He also appeared on radio, including a funny performance on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. He even wrote and presented his own children's TV show called Draw Me, which had 13 parts. In 1975, he was the special guest on the show This Is Your Life.

Bill Tidy's drawing style was similar to his friend, the cartoonist Larry. But while Larry's cartoons were often like quick jokes, Tidy's work usually had longer stories with both visual and spoken humor.

Personal Life

Bill Tidy passed away on March 11, 2023, when he was 89 years old.