Artist in holiday death tragedy

Jul 22 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

THE family of a North artist who drowned at a waterfall while on holiday in the Philippines last night told how outdoor adventure inspired his work.

The region’s arts community joined them in mourning last night after Richard Kidd, from Gateshead, died while swimming at Bataan’s Dunsulan Falls in the Philippines.

Father-of-two Mr Kidd, 56, was on a two-month trip with girlfriend Ailsa Lamble on Saturday when he was swept away as he swam alone below the waterfall, which was swollen from rains.

He was pulled from the water by Miss Lamble’s father, also called Richard, who desperately tried to revive him with the help of two locals.

Yesterday his two brothers were comforting their parents Richard Robson-Kidd, 88, and Vera, 84, at the family home in Low Fell.

Geoffrey, 52, now a salmon farmer in North West Scotland, and Anthony, 48, a GP in Yorkshire, spoke of their pride in their brother, who had work exhibited at galleries around the world. They said Mr Kidd was also an accomplished mountaineer and had 10 children’s books printed in various languages.

He leaves two daughters, Rachel, 17, and Daisy, 15, who are being comforted at their home near Stratford-upon-Avon by their mother Lindsay, Richard’s ex-wife. They separated in 2001, when he returned to the North East, where he was born and raised. Mr Kidd attended the British School of Arts in Rome before going on to work in San Francisco and New York. He had been working as a teacher in the fine art department at Newcastle University.

Yesterday brother Geoffrey said: “They (his daughters) were a very big part of his life. His girls were everything to him.

“Richard was always a very adventurous person, what with climbing and outdoor activities. It stimulated his art work.

“He wrote about 10 children’s books. They were quite a part of his life. He was a great children’s person.”

Police in the Philippines said Mr Kidd was in the country to paint a luxury ship in Bataan.

He had been with girlfriend Ailsa, 25, a Newcastle University fine art graduate, for about two years and the pair had been looking forward to their two-month trip. Mr Kidd was a physically fit man, whose hobbies were climbing, running and swimming.

Mr Lamble told a Philippines newspaper: “As soon as Richard got into the water, into what looked like a basin, he was sucked straight in and could no longer come up.” Miss Lamble said: “I was swimming with my boyfriend but I got into the woods. When I came back, I saw my father trying to pull him out of the water.

“I ran away to get a stick and when I returned with the stick, my father told me to ask for help. My father and two men from the village tried to resuscitate him for almost an hour.”

Geoffrey added: “We are all very proud of him. He was a born artist and an accomplished mountaineer. He had a very active life. He had gone through the more adventurous stages of his life, which makes it more difficult when it happens.

“Ailsa is devastated but she is being supported by her father. We are hoping she will be able to fly back on Wednesday.”

Anthony added: “We are coping as well as can be expected. I had to come and break the news to mum and dad.

“You never expect to have to do that. They have taken the news well for their age. It’s fair to say Richard survived everything thrown at him. He was a character and he had cheated death many times. It’s just sad nothing could have been done to prevent this tragic accident.”