Anthony Richard Wade

1954 –

Written by George Wade and Susannah Midwinter

My uncle Richard was born in 1954 at the Fanny Deakin nursing home in Newcastle under Lyme. He first went to Elmhurst Primary school in Market Drayton and then at Oundle School in Northamptonshire until his O-levels then returned to his Staffordshire roots and did A-levels at Newcastle high school.

Richard with older brother Jeremy stood next to their baby sister Susannah.

Throughout his school years he excelled in art and clearly gained artistic genes from both grandfather and mother. He had a particular gift for catching likenesses and was rarely without a small sketch pad and pencil in hand, in the pub, jazz clubs, friends, musicians politicians……everyone was fair game for his caricatures! The evidence can be seen in a few local pubs.

He worked for Motor magazine for some years but then decided to become a self employed artist which he has successfully had a career in  ever since. He is a master of detail which shows in his wonderful etchings, with a wide range of subjects from rural scenes to cars on and off the racetrack.  He stocked galleries all over the country and Exhibited latterly at many a car events including Goodwood He took on personal commissions and delighted customers all over the globe.

In the 1980s he did some designs for Wade including the Whimsey-on-Why series miniature porcelain village. He also did the Village Stores a collection of 4  8in high caddies decorated with shop designs.

A selection of Richard’s fabulous art:

Ellie and I were delighted when he did a picture for our wedding. It hangs proudly in our house and is framed with messages from all our guests.

It is a great shame he did not do more design work for Wade with his talent.

Richard Wade and Jeremy Wade shortly before Jeremy’s death in 2025

We used Richard’s fabulous artwork on the front of the order of service when my father died in 2025. Richard had done the piece for my fathers 60th birthday and featured many of his faviourite cars he had owned over the years. The final photo shows the Jaguar XK140 XEH 863 which was bought new by my grandfather and is still in the Wade family.