It is with great sadness that we had to report that Stuart, one of the Rolling Stock Trust’s chief supporters, lost his fight against the wicked Alzheimer’s disease at the turn of the year. He is very much missed – and our thoughts are very much with Vicky and his family. A tribute day, being arranged by another of his great loves, at Ruddington is being expected for Saturday 26 March.
Stuart, a Nottingham-lad through and through, had a tremendous but discreet influence on the northern development of the GCR, the railway track purchase from British Rail and the County Council, Heritage Centre at Ruddington which he helped to secure, the setting up of the Nottingham Society of Model and Experimental Engineers and its outstanding machine shop and near 2 km of miniature railway. He also purchased and donated a signal box to GCRN; and a Suburban and a now unique GCR Clerestory carriage and other vital historical artefacts to the Rolling Stock Trust.
He was a most generous supporter of the Rolling Stock Trust, always interested and mentally engaged into his latter years, always curious and concerned about the developments at Ruddington. One of his later visits with Vicky was for the dedication of the Trust’s 6-wheeler led by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant Col Roger Merryweather TD DL, with the now Baroness Nicky Morgan, the late Bill Ford and many local dignitaries, and representatives of the Great Central Railway Society, GCR PLC and from the Royal Scots Regiment.
Stuart provided much needed and much appreciated support in professional negotiations bringing his business-based realism forward from his earlier enterprises, including the international InterMotor automotive parts operation which he partnered in North Nottinghamshire. He was a practical man, much attracted to machining and miniature engineering – with a large well-equipped workshop at home near Matlock. He was one who listened and gave a most appreciated view of the sector he so enjoyed, that of heritage railways.
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