Marjorie Wallace and Tom Margerison

Published: 27 March, 2014
by PAVAN AMARA

ALTHOUGH the world knew him as a scientific journalist of precision, who founded one of the world’s leading magazines, Dr Tom Margerison’s partner of 34 years knew a different side to him – for Marjorie Wallace he was her “best friend and soulmate”.

Tom was born in 1923 in Finchley. In the 1940s, he graduated with a PhD in Physics from Sheffield University.

By 1956 he was regularly appearing on television, and according to Marjorie “was the Brian Cox of his generation but was modest to a fault. He could have been the David Attenborough of science if he had more of an ego.”

The same year Tom brainstormed an idea with friend Percy Cudlipp – to produce a weekly scientific magazine. The result was New Scientist.

In the 1960s he was one of the UK’s leading science journalists, working for the Sunday Times and the BBC, and at the forefront of reporting the space race between the Russians and the Americans.

Tom managed to impress his Russian contacts in a novel way, by “wearing a lightweight Marks and Spencer’s suit in minus 40 degrees temperatures as he thought coats unnecessary, winning sub-zero swimming competitions under the ice, and drinking the Russians under the table”.

In 1967 he was part of a group which founded London Weekend Television, and rose to become chief executive.

In the 1970s, while they were both working with the David Frost, he met investigative journalist Marjorie Wallace. Both married other people and went their separate ways. Tom became a father to two sons.

“He was my best friend and soulmate and I knew that soon after I met him,” said Marjorie. “I was scared of flying, and before I set off for Amsterdam he started very calmly explaining things to me. He gave me a feeling of safety I hadn’t felt with anyone before.”

Later they met again, and in 1980 set up home together in Bisham Gardens, Highgate, and had a daughter, Sophia.

“He was very romantic, although it was hidden to other people,” Marjorie said.

“I’d come from work and frequently find these love letters and cards dotted around the house. He had a beautiful way of expressing how he felt.”

Fifteen years ago Tom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but even until recently he was “inventing things, companies, newspapers, making the connections between things, his mind didn’t stop bubbling away in the background”.

He died in February at the Whittington Hospital, and was buried in Highgate Cemetery.