Still in Carey Street, Obiter was saddened this week to learn of the death of one of the great characters of legal London: John Eddowes, chairman of the venerable Legastat legal documents powerhouse. Obiter first patronised the shop in the 1970s, when it housed what may have been London’s first colour photocopier, access to which was highly restricted lest we be tempted to run off a sheet of pound notes.
To quote the firm’s tribute: ‘John was far more than a businessman. He was a Shakespearean scholar, a legal researcher/writer (author of The Two Killers of Rillington Place), a cricket enthusiast (author of Language of Cricket), and an athletics supporter. A true polymath, he spoke several languages, loved classical music, and constantly encouraged those around him to pursue knowledge, learning, and professional growth.’
One beneficiary of his encouragement was a young musician named David Jones, who worked as an operator in 57 Carey Street in the 1960s. The story goes that he first recorded his composition A Space Oddity in the shop’s basement, on a Dictaphone borrowed from Eddowes. A more professional recording went on to become David Bowie’s first number one in 1969.
Meanwhile Legastat, founded in 1953, has moved upmarket from its copyshop roots, now offering litigation support services. We trust our neighbour will be around for many decades to come.
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