David Waldo Clarke was born in Wales in 1907.
Known to all as Waldo, he attended Swansea Grammar school where he was taught English by David John Thomas, father of Dylan Thomas. David John Thomas was passionate about William Shakespeare and he inspired the same fascination in Waldo, who later wrote a small, well received book “In Praise of Shakespeare”.
Waldo finished his education at Jesus College, Oxford and began his career as a teacher, lecturer, and an expert on Shakespeare and other classic writers. During the 1930s he lived for 7 years as a teacher in Egypt with his newlywed wife, Gwen. Whilst there, he approached a local radio station and offered to give talks on English literature, which included reviewing books on Egyptian radio. He also bought a car and learnt to drive on the spot and never passed a driving test! With war looming, the couple returned to the UK, where Waldo collaborated with Ronald Ridout, writing books on English grammar. He also taught at the London Polytechnic, as head of language teaching to foreign students.
To entertain his daughters, Jennifer and Joanna, he also wrote a series of popular Wild West novels, including Warbonnet, The Man from Thunder River and many others, set in Montana and Wyoming under the name of Dave Waldo.
He died in 1992 and was buried with his wife in a quiet churchyard in Pennard, a village within his beloved Gower. On their grave, the inscription, most aptly, from Romeo and Juliet, “Peace, the lovers are asleep”.