Jack Clark

Born in 1918, Jack Clark showed an early aptitude for study, particularly of languages (he mastered four) but circumstances denied him the chance to go on to further education. He served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and, when invalided out, worked for the Ministry of Supply. After the war he took on various jobs before settling in Lewis's department store in Leeds where he rose to the position of Senior Travel Clerk. In 1973 he moved to the Yorkshire Post; by the time he retired in 1983 he was chief copytaker.

Jack appeared on Mastermind in 1990 and took 'The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1660-69' as his specialist subject. Being slightly deaf he almost failed to identify Pepys' famous 'catchphrase' - 'and so to bed' - fortunately, Magnus Magnusson realised that he had not heard the question and repeated it.

Jack became a regular contributor to the Mastermind Club's magazine Pass with his column Master Jack's Diary. Appropriately he also contributed a report to Pass on the club's annual get-together as a pastiche of Pepys.

Jack Clark died in 2002 at the age of 83.