Dave Mackay
I was saddened to read of my good friend’s death on 16 December from cancer. Although he had moved to Brighton a couple of years ago to be with his fiancée, I kept in touch with him. I texted him on his seventieth birthday in September, and he telephoned me while he was in Brighton Hospital. In December, he told me that he was still not in the best of health, but the good news was he was marrying his fiancée Helen the following week. I am sure having met Helen myself, that his five years or so since he met her on a walking holiday abroad, were some of the happiest of his life.
Dave was a man of many parts, who in his earlier life was a Venture Scout leader. He told me he had been seriously walking since his teenage years. Later, he became a qualified local football referee and was still involved on the committee of a local league until very recently. He supported Tottenham Hotspur because his namesake was the captain of the club when it won the League and Cup double in 1961 and a Scotsman. He was a keen supporter of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth in the UK. He was on the Royal Borough council as a Liberal Democrat councillor for the Belmont ward from 2003 to 2011. He worked for UK Customs at Heathrow Airport for many years.
Dave was a regular visitor to Tenerife where he often met up with Keith Dunford to go walking there. The photo attached to this obituary was supplied by Keith and is an excellent reminder of two of Dave’s passions, walking and beer! It will come as no surprise to EBR members that Dave was a supporter of the Campaign for Real Ale. I still remember when I tipped off the pub landlord that we were back from a walk and the cook could start preparing our meals. This meant on one occasion Dave had not had his first of two pints (when I was driving us home) when the meals arrived. He was not best pleased.
In summary, despite having health issues throughout most of his adult life, this did not stop him from leading a full life. May he rest in peace.
Malcolm Stone
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Sheila Barnett
Funeral Details from Gerald
Sheila's Funeral will be on Thursday June 24th at 3.30pm. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions and the size of the chapel, we can only accommodate a limited number of people. However we are live streaming the funeral and are sending this link to those who might have liked to attend.
https://www.wesleymedia.co.uk/webcast-view
Login / Order ID: 99748
Password aubewvfd
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We are sorry to tell you that Sheila Barnett died suddenly on 4th June of a heart attack following a long illness. Sheila was a member of the group for many years, and helped her husband Gerald, former Group Secretary, to organise the Autumn breaks on a regular basis. She used to find and book the hotels and helped him with the evening entertainments, including making fiendish quizzes of pictures to identify. She was nearly 87 and had been married to Gerald for 63 years.
The funeral wil take place at Amersham Crematorium. The family have asked for no flowers but voluntary contributions instead to Sheila’s favourite charity, Wycombe Scannapeal, for whom she volunteered for a few years at the Scannapeal bookshop at Wycombe Hospital.
The Group extends its sympathy and condolences to Gerald and the Barnett family.
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Bench for David Bounds
The East Berkshire Ramblers purchased a bench seat as a memorial to David Bounds who co-authored the Rambling for Pleasure guide
books for 30 years. The bench is made from environmentally friendly material, needs little maintenance and is vandal proof. A unique and very appropriate metal plaque has been attached.
The Loddon Valley group, of which David was for many years the Footpath Secretary, made the arrangements with the Culden Faw estate and once the lockdown restrictions were relaxed installed the bench next to Remenham footpath 6, (See RFP Along the Thames Ramble 20), assisted by EBR members Gordon Marrs and Arthur Holland.
A small ceremony hosted by Kate Ashbrook, General Secretary of the Open Spaces Society and a vice president of the Ramblers, took place on Friday 30th April.
The seat is very comfortable - and there’s a fine view!
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David Lindsay
Members will be sad to learn that David Lindsay (Dotty's husband) has died.
They were both singing along to the Big Sing on Easter Sunday, when he died suddenly but peacefully. Dotty says he was in no pain.
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Jim Scott
Alma Richardson has sent the following note:
I have to tell you that Jim Scott (of Helen and Jim Scott), died at Wexham on 19th February.
Hardly any of the younger members of the group would know Helen and Jim but they attended many of the Strollerthons. I think they are very long term members of the Group.
He was over 90.
Alma.
We don't know any funeral details.
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