TRIBUTE has been paid to a novelist, motorcyclist, and martial arts expert after his death aged 94.

Bob Forrest-Webb died at Hereford County Hospital on April 23.

He moved to the area from Hampshire in search of good fishing and a relaxed lifestyle, living in the area for over 45 years and making many friends in Skenfrith, Monmouth and St Weonards, where he lived with his wife Wendy.

He is survived by his daughter Anne, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Nottingham born, his early jobs included farming, civil service, the merchant navy and lengthy travels in some of the wildest areas of Africa and India, where he lived and worked, before starting a journalistic career in Fleet Street.

Mr Forrest-Webb became a national champion in kayak racing and represented Great Britain in the World Championships in Denmark in 1950. He crossed the Sahara Desert in both directions on a motorcycle, and raced motorcycles for 12 years as a works rider.

He was involved in the martial arts for over 70 years and held the rare grade of 8th Dan in Aikido, an honour awarded him by the Japanese International Shodokan Federation. He started the Skenfrith Aikido Club 45 years ago, later moving to the Monmouth Leisure Centre.

A keen hunter and fisherman, he was able to draw on many of his own experiences to give colour and authenticity to his novels, writing under four different pseudonyms.

A David Forrest novel “The Great Dinosaur Robbery” was turned into a Disney film and “After me the Deluge” has become Italy’s most successful musical and is still running today in Europe and South America.

He also wrote film scripts, plays for TV and radio and the script and lyrics for two British musicals. His other pseudonyms were Robert Trevelyan of the “Pendragon” series, Roberta Forrest and his own name, Forrest-Webb.

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