Tribute
At the time of Francis’ death, Fred Douglas (an Edinburgh Communist, bookseller, and close mutual
friend) wrote this beautiful tribute:
‘I think we went up the bare wooden stairs and spent time with him in that attic partly in the search for
ourselves. He was a sort of mirror perceiving and reflecting the goodness and finer nature of his friends and
encouraging them to believe in themselves as he believed in them. His own dedication made it an
uncommon experience to know him. And as he, in plain words, loved us we have lost something we can’t
go round any corner and replace...
We are cut off from a special, welcoming, corner of the world which in an instant was made cold and dark
forever. Could we but revoke the irrevocable! It would be something to cast an eye round the old chairs
and gas fire and canvases and squashed paint tubes and dust, and for a moment to bring him to life again
amongst it all.’