Paul Scofield the Oscar-winning actor has died at the age of 86.

Scofield won the Academy Award for best actor in 1967 for A Man for All Seasons, and was also nominated in 1995 for best supporting actor in Quiz Show. The British-born actor started his stage career in 1940, and later became known for his Shakespearean roles.

He played King Lear in the 1972 film version of Shakespeare’s play, and also played the French King in Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V in 1989. Scofield was appointed a CBE in 1956 after his appearance on the Moscow stage in Peter Brooks’ Hamlet but the actor never accepted a knighthood.

An astonishing and brilliant talent that will be mourned by all those that love Shakespeare.

I celebrate the life of Mary Williamson my Aunt that passed recently. She played Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Empire Theatre, Leeds in 1937. She dedicated her life to nursing and won “Nurse of the year”. She had her ashes spread in Glen Gairn, Scotland near to my families ancestral home. R.I.P.