JOHN BRIAN HORNBY - 21st July 1935 - 25th October 2022
Born in Wandsworth, and then schooled in Clapham, John studied and obtained his Diploma in Architecture at what was then the Northern Polytechnic London School of Architecture, whilst working at Stock, Page & Stock from 1955-58. In 1958 he married Audrey (nee Brooks) setting up home in Wimbledon.
After a spell with Casson and Conder, and then Eric Lyons in 1962, he started his own architectural practice, and like many young architects first working from home, mainly on one-off houses, and extensions for clients in Greater London and the home counties. He was fortunate to have a well-travelled patron, who directed him towards her portfolio of forgotten properties in Sussex, and for a number of years the area around Newhaven was both a source of work and also a family holiday spot.
By the end of the 1960’s John had set up an office in High Street, Wimbledon, where he was to remain until the turn of the century, providing work experience for many graduates of the Kingston School of Architecture and the Architectural Association, several of them moving on to start their own local practices.
The good times of the mid 1970’s saw commissions with the Wilberforce Housing Trust for elderly residential care (Wilberforce House, Thornton Lodge), with a big focus for John in 1978 executing a project with Richard Gill, which became the much-loved Polka Children's Theatre in Wimbledon. Thereafter his practice took on more local authority and educational work - Robinson Road housing, Pollards Hill Youth Centre, improvements at Rokeby School, and a new library block for Marymount International School.
His architectural style was fresh and contemporary, and with an early interest in landscape planting many of his buildings nestled into comfortable green leafy settings from the moment of completion. His practice evolved around domestic, residential, commercial and retail work, often in restrictive planning environments. There are at least four retail frontages along Wimbledon Village High Street where John skilfully balanced the complex restructuring of old interiors to provide modern retail spaces within a Conservation setting.
The 1990’s were difficult times for most architects, and John’s practice was no exception. During those years of economic recession, he tackled many schemes that would never get off the drawing board, but always with the same gusto and joy as any live project.
With projects become thinner on the ground and much smaller, the practice inevitably contracted. A move to Elm Grove in Wimbledon provided a period of calm, where new friendships grew, and John established a different client base. Towards his retirement in 2005 design work had tailed off, and his practice was more geared to providing design advisory services, supporting development projects to ensure that the design took full account of safety aspects during construction and use.
John had always put in long hours at work, but still found time to be an active member of both Wimbledon and Morden Rotary Clubs, and in 2003 he joined the WCCA, becoming a Liveryman in 2005. Following retirement he took up watercolours with his wife, Audrey. Three times a year they would head to their beloved village of Alfriston in Sussex for long painting weekends, tutorials and reminiscences about their early visits there with their young family.
John was sadly diagnosed with dementia in 2015. He remained at home, lovingly cared for by Audrey, until early in 2022 his condition rapidly deteriorated and he went into a care home for the last months of his life. He is survived by his wife, Audrey, two sons, Martin and Andrew, and grandchildren, Emma and Edward.
SYLVIA REID - 8th August 1924 - 20th August 2022
Past Master Sylvia Reid sadly passed away on 20th August, at the grand age of 98.
Sylvia Mary Payne attended Notting Hill and Ealing High School, where she excelled in art and music. She went on to the Regent Street Polytechnic to study architecture, and there she met John Reid, who was to become her husband and collaborator, a relationship that was to sustain them both personally and professionally throughout their happy marriage and lifelong design partnership until John’s death in 1992.
On qualifying as an architect, Sylvia began working with Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew. By 1948 John & Sylvia had established themselves in a flat in Lambeth and it wasn’t long before the couple became engrossed in work on the 1951 Festival of Britain, with many notable figures including Milner Gray, FHK Henrion and Daphne Hardy Henrion, Misha Black, Paul Reilly, Theo Crosby, Willy de Maio, Ernest Race, Gordon and Ursula Bowyer, and Robin Day who all became life-long friends.
The defining feature of the Reid’s partnership was their collaboration on their entire design output, so it’s hard to discern where their respective influences can be seen, unlike other famous design couples of the period. Their work was prolific and wide-ranging, winning three Milan Triennale Medals (1954, 1960 & 1963) and four Council of Industrial Design Awards (1957, 1958, 1959 & 1961). The Reid’s are probably best known for their furniture design for the British manufacturer, Stag, and light fittings for Rotaflex - their designs bringing the gleam of post-war modernism to millions of British homes.
Their iconic Stag S230 dining chair was awarded a Design Guild Mark on its 60th anniversary in 2019 and is currently still in production. Enamelled cast-iron “Anniversary Ware” designed by Sylvia and John and made by Izons is held in the V & A’s permanent collection. The Reids also undertook a good deal of graphic design - their NIC EIC logo, designed in 1967, still adorning electricians’ vans and work-clothing today.
Sylvia believed that, “Good design is the product of logical thought and the attempt to provide for the requirements of the world in which we live. Whether it be of furniture, interiors or complete buildings, it is concerned with the intelligent usage of suitable materials, arranged so that the functional requirements of the particular problem are solved.” Having this functional and pragmatic approach, Sylvia welcomed the fact that much of the couple’s architectural work was altered over time, including the Weigerinck House in the Oulton Broads as mentioned in Pevsner’s Suffolk. However, Sylvia was delighted when their Wheatsheaf Pub in Camberley was listed Grade 2 in 2018.
The Reid’s design philosophy was naturally informed by the austerity of post-war Britain - working in an environment of recovery from the devastation of war, but simultaneously energized by the prospect of building a bright new future. Throughout her life Sylvia remained a strong advocate of design literacy and good quality design for all, coining the phrase “good design for the young in heart and pocket” for Stag in 1960, and always believing that there wasn’t much point in good design if people couldn’t afford to buy it.
Sylvia was a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers and later became one of the founding members of the WCCA, with husband John, becoming the first Master in 1988. Always assured of her equality, Sylvia went on to become the first female Master of the Company in 1996. In the early seventies she had famously declined an invitation to debate women’s rights on Joan Bakewell’s BBC2 arts programme, proclaiming the argument was already won!
Sylvia was married to John for 43 years until his death in 1992. They both fell in love with Cornwall and bought a cottage in Marazion in 1961, where many family holidays were to take place. Sylvia moved permanently to Cornwall in 2003. She is survived by their three children, Dominic, Suzannah and Victoria and three grandchildren, James, Elizabeth and Grace.
IAN CHARLES KING - 28th December 1934 - 24th April 2022
One our earliest Company members, Liveryman Ian King, sadly passed away on 24th April this year, aged 88 years.
Ian was born into a professional North-London family - his father, a solicitor, and a grandfather, an architect. He was four years old when the Second World War began, and the family suffered severe financial hardship when his father’s business premises were destroyed in the Blitz. The Architects Benevolent Society were amongst those that supported the family through those hard times and Ian wasn’t to forget that later in life. The family relocated to Finchley and with their circumstances much improved, Ian attended University College School in Hampstead for his secondary education. It was here that his early desire to follow his grand-father and become an architect was nurtured, and his natural talent for sport blossomed - first with rugby and cricket, and then tennis, which was to become a lifelong passion.
Ian studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture, graduating with flying colours, and awarded the Alfred Blossom Atelier Prize in Contemporary Architecture. As a young architect in the early sixties he worked on notable social housing projects, including Grahame Park in Barnet, but from the mid-sixties he concentrated on commercial projects, mostly west of London. His practice flourished after moving to the City, eventually employing 40 staff and working on several top-end projects, including the Banque Nationale de France’s new London head office. The last 10 years of Ian’s professional career was spent in partnership with Miso Marlais, who retained the practice name, Ian C King Associates, after Ian retired in 2010.
Ian was not content to be simply an architect, and throughout his life developed many interests and supported many causes well into his later years, imbued as he was with an altruistic and generous nature. Struck by the ABS’s support for his family during the war, he became a Council Member of ABS as a relatively young architect, and was later appointed Honorary Treasurer. He was certainly a person who gave back where he could. Ian was a governor of his old school, University College School, for 21 years during which time he supervised the rebuilding of their Great Hall, after a disastrous fire. He stood down from the School Council in order to fully collaborate on a professional basis with others to relocate part of the Junior School to Frognal, Hampstead, designing a new lecture theatre and music centre situated beneath tennis courts.
Tennis was a certainly in Ian’s blood, playing twice in the Men Doubles Wimbledon Championships in the early 1950’s. He became a member of the All-England Lawn Tennis Club in 1967 and for 35 years was a regular member of the Middlesex County Team. After being elected to the Club’s long-term planning committee, Ian assisted with Wimbledon’s refurbishment plans, particularly for Centre Court and the now famous sliding roof, but also in the transformation of the Club’s interiors, playing a prominent role in introducing modern paintings and photographic work in the refurbished clubhouse. Ian was also instrumental in the commissioning of the stunning engraved glass doors to Centre Court’s players’ entrance and he also introduced the concept of an annual Championship Artist, whose works are displayed throughout each Championship fortnight, many being added to the Club’s permanent art collection. It was Ian who recognised the under-representation of the five British Ladies Champions’ successes in the face that the All-England Club portrayed to the public and he became the driving force to commission busts of them, now prominently located close to the Club’s entrance.
Ian was one of the earliest members of the WCCA and was also a member of the Company of Glass Sellers. He was a very active member of the Hurlingham Club in Fulham, characteristically involving himself in upgrading the club’s facilities, including the building of three new indoor tennis courts! However, his main legacy at the Club was the creation of the Hurlingham Heritage Fund, which continues the aim to enhance their beautiful grounds and buildings.
Ian was certainly an indefatigable and veritable tour de force throughout his life. He is survived by both his first wife, Julie, and three of their four children, Sharon, Oliver and Tara, and his second wife, Natalie, and step-children, Marcus and Melissa. Ian’s eldest son, Julian, by his first marriage, also an architect, sadly died last year.
SIR ALASTAIR STEWART Bt 26th Oct 1925 - 13th Feb 2022
Alastair passed away peacefully at home on 13th February 2022 at the grand age of 96. He was the second son of Sir Kenneth Stewart of Strathgarry GBE, succeeding to the baronetcy in 1992 on the sad passing of his elder brother, Sir David Stewart.
Alastair was educated at Marlborough College, and after service as a Lieutenant in the 1st Royal Gloucestershire Regiment during the Second World War worked for shipping agents, Neal and Wilkinson, where he had a very successful career, helping the company develop new markets and facilities. In 1971 he left Neal & Wilkinson to set up his own shipping company with a colleague, Len Harvey, who had also joined Neal & Wilkinson after the war. Alastair was to be the Managing Director of Stewart & Harvey Ltd for 19 years, before retiring at the age of 65.
Retirement allowed Alastair to spend more time working in his beloved garden at Walters Cottage, Little Baddow - never happier than being in his old gardening clothes, but scrubbing up well to become the debonair gentleman he was when attending formal dinners, many of which were Livery Company functions. Apart from his passion for gardening and making sure that Walter’s Cottage was in prime condition for Open Gardens weekends and other charitable causes, other interests included the restoration of the canal network, so there were holidays on narrow boats, stamp collecting, particularly South American, and he was involved in numerous charitable projects. With “Friends of Essex Churches” Alastair helped to raise funds for church restoration projects, and he was also a keen supporter of the Essex Community Foundation, which benefitted a broad range of charitable projects, activities and organisations across the county.
The WCCA came to know Alastair as the husband of Past Master Lady Patricia Stewart MBE. Alastair had always been very supportive of Patricia running her Architects practice from home, whilst raising four young children, and also supported her commitments with the RIBA. Characteristically Alastair gave Patricia huge support during her year as Master in 2000, and the Company Clerk at the time has strong memories of the level of support he provided. In those early days Clerks were never sure how the spouses of Masters should be addressed. Mistresses were all very well when the Master was male, but how best to address Alastair? Escort and Consort were suggested, but in the end Alastair himself decreed he should be known as ‘The Master’s Bagman’ - knowing full well that carrying and generally stewarding the Master’s perfectly colour co-ordinated handbag and hat would be a job that needed doing! Such was the generosity of his support for the Master that he and Patricia donated the splendidly unisex Consort’s Badge, and they subsequently donated a matching badge to be worn by the Deputy Master.
After Patricia’s year as Master, Alastair continued to attend many of the Company’s events, as he greatly enjoyed the company of the many friends made in the WCCA. As a result of his close association with the Company, and the warm welcome that was always there for him, Alastair resolved to repay the Company in a meaningful and practical way, subsequently making a very generous donation to the Charitable Trust in 2011. It came with the proviso that the sum should be invested by the Trustees, with the derived income each year being made available to substantially discount the cost of tickets for the Company’s students attending WCCA events. Countless student members have since benefited from Alastair’s generosity, and will continue to do so in years to come. As a mark of thanks for his kindness, Alastair took up the Freedom of the City and was made an Honorary Liveryman of the Company in 2012.
In 2007 Alastair and Patricia set up their own named charitable fund, to be managed by the Essex Community Foundation, which they had supported since its inception in 1996. The Alastair and Patricia Stewart Charitable Fund continues to support families in need, and in particular young people with disabilities, many with autism. Jo Macaulay of the Essex Community Foundation has said “Alastair was always smiling or laughing and was so welcoming, quick witted and interested in others. We will miss Sir Alastair greatly - it was a privilege to know him.”
Sir Alastair is survived by his wife, Lady Patricia Stewart MBE, and daughters, Judith, Lucy and Catherine.
OWEN LUDER CBE PPRIBA - 7th AUGUST 1928 - 8th OCTOBER 2021
Liveryman Owen Luder, who served as RIBA president twice, 1981-1983 & 1995-1997, sadly passed away on 8th October, aged 93 years.
A South-London boy, Owen always wanted to a designer. At first it was aircraft design, but by the age of 13 he knew he wanted to be an Architect. At 16 he had left school, and began working for the Architect Henry C Smith. Three nights a week he attended evening classes in Architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic, but was unable to complete his studies there as he had to leave to do his National Service. On leaving the army he took his Part I exam at the RIBA, and went on to complete his architectural training at the Brixton School of Building. By 1954 Owen was a probationary member of the RIBA. He worked for several small practices during his formative years, picking up private clients of his own along the way before establishing his own practice, the Owen Luder Partnership in 1957. His first big project a 4000 sq ft Tesco supermarket in Pimlico, which at that time was a relatively new building type, and the largest supermarket in the country! This was the project that introduced him to the developer Alec Coleman, with whom he immediately clicked and they were to work closely together on many subsequent developments.
Owen was very successful in the post-war commercial building bonanza, particularly after the architect Rodney Gordon joined forces with him in 1959. Together they designed some of the most iconic Brutalist developments of the 1960’s, many receiving commendations and awards when first built, but soon becoming unloved, obsolete and unworkable in a fast-changing world where building standards were rising, and architectural design was moving on from the hard aesthetics of mass concrete, when used as the principal building material, towards more elegant and light design solutions that resulted from the use of steel and glass. Owen always said that the practice never set out to design Brutalist buildings, maintaining that it was the shortage of steel that led the practice to design largely in reinforced concrete with the minimum decoration.
The Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth was perhaps the practice’s most well-known project, where Alec Coleman was the developer. It was completed in 1966 to much acclaim, but finally demolished in 2004 after years of debate as to its fitness for purpose, both in terms of its structure and design, and also as a commercial development, as it was never successfully let and managed. Owen bravely fought to defend it to the very last, but it was never sufficiently good enough as an iconic development representing the brave new world to be saved from demolition. His Trinity Square development in Gateshead, famously chosen for the setting for the multi-storey car park chase in the 1971 film “Get Carter” starring Michael Caine, was another iconic 60’s Brutalist development lauded at first, but finally demolished in 2010 to make way for new development. The story is still being repeated. Owen’s Catford Shopping Centre and Milford Towers development of 1974, acclaimed as the “Barbican of the South” at the time is to be redeveloped. In his later years Owen was typically sanguine about outliving so many of the large developments his practice designed in the 60’s & 70’s, and for becoming a prominent figure in the “Rubble Club”. Eros House, an office development he designed in Catford, won an RIBA medal in 1963 and does still remain, but in a very different guise now as it has been clad and converted to flats.
Owen was certainly always a charismatic figure, a go-getter with bags of confidence and and nose for being where the action was. He aimed to be always one step ahead of the game, and at the first signs of a downturn in the economy and commercial work beginning to dry up he turned to government contracts to secure his company’s workload, designing many high-security prisons in the UK. His was one of the first UK practices to secure major overseas contracts in the 70’s in the Middle East and in Nigeria to maintain the practice’s momentum.
In the late 70’s he felt that the profession was not responding sufficiently to the changing times, and he made his presence felt at the RIBA after becoming a Councilor. He was a cage rattler, and very keen to see improvements made in the profession, particularly with regard to architectural education. Against the odds, he stood for RIBA President against Gordon Graham, the “establishment” figure at the time. Owen famously won because he had his finger on the pulse of the profession, knowing that change was in the wind. During his 1981-83 Presidency he headed up the construction industry’s famous Group of Eight trying its very best to steer Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister at the time, in the right direction to help all those engaged in the construction industry. Twelve years later Owen was elected yet again as RIBA President for 1995-97. By that time, he had retired from the Owen Luder Partnership and had set up a consultancy, “Communication in Construction”.
In recent years Owen became a staunch supporter of inclusivity in the practice of Architecture, putting his weight behind the championing of BAME rights during his eighties, his empathy drawn to some extent no doubt from his own experience as a youngster, struggling from very humble beginnings to earn his architectural stripes, but always aiming for the stars. He certainly made an indelible mark in the development of Architecture, and its practice in the latter half of the 20th Century.
Owen is survived by his four daughters, Jacqui, Kate, Sara & Jude.
OWEN LUDER PPRIBA - Reflections by Past Master Jonathan Ball MBE
The usual response to my sending Owen birthday greetings each August was missing this year.
We went back a long way together - Owen first teaching me how to tie a bow tie on my hosting his visit to the Cornwall RIBA Branch more than 40 years ago. Then as President of the RIBA appointing me Chairman of Parliamentary Affairs in 1982, soon after my first election to RIBA Council. And so many happy memories beyond the Council Chamber, with Victoria and myself guests at his Savoy wedding to Jacqui in 1989, through to Owen asking me to give one of the tributes on her passing. Whilst our respective positions on architecture and RIBA politics were often at variance, we would always hunt each other out in the bar afterwards. We have particularly fond memories of Owen joining us on my Master’s WCCA trip to the Isles of Scilly in 2008.
With Jacqui, Owen was lavish in his entertaining, thoughtful in giving me opportunities as one of the next generation coming on and kind in inviting us to be his house guests in Smith Square, when on RIBA visits to London our overnight arrangements were frustrated. Victoria recalls he was an excellent dancing partner!
His was a distinguished professional, characterised by robust exchanges with those who may seek to disagree with his views, but mitigated by a generosity of spirit and a heart set firmly in the right place. We will miss his smile always in evidence at our many social get-togethers down the years.
ANTHONY STOKES JUDD - 2nd March 1939 - 25th Sept 2021
It appears that Tony, as he was generally known, always claimed Welsh heritage, even as a child brought up and educated in Southend-on-Sea. None of his friends really knew why! He gained his Diploma in Architecture at the Southend School of Architecture in the early 60’s and first worked for local architectural practices in Southend, before making the move to the bright lights of London, joining a small busy practice in New Oxford Street. Here he was to meet another young architect, who was to become a life-long friend and business partner, David Rolfe.
Finding themselves made redundant in 1968, the pair decided to set up in practice together forming Rolfe-Judd, probably the first architectural practice in the UK constituted as a ‘group practice’, rather than under the usual arrangement of equity partners. They spent the first ten years or so working very hard and became best known for their refurbishment work of historic London properties, working in conjunction with both developers and also the larger Estates. Reportedly they played very hard too, and with a passion for vintage cars, in particular Bentleys, Tony joined the Bentley Drivers Club in the early 70’s. He raced his favourite 4.5 litre Bentley over the next 20 years, joined in many regional events and arranged the club’s Tour of Europe in the late 80’s. He also jointly edited 23 editions of the club’s magazine, the Review, and served as the BDC’s Chairman, 1994-1997. Such was his huge passion for Bentleys!
Design was Tony’s real forte, and the many early refurbishment projects of Rolfe-Judd were soon overtaken by new building projects in the City and Westminster, notably a development in Paternoster Square, and no. 68, Cornhill, a high-end office development behind a retained facade, which received a Civic Trust Award. The practice also carried out the extension and refurbishment of RICS prestigious headquarters in Parliament Square. Following the success of these major projects in London their workload subsequently expanded across the country - Securicor plc, being one of their major clients.
After practising for 31 years as Rolfe-Judd, Tony retired in 1999 at the age of 60, along with his life-long friend and business partner, David, handing the reins over to a younger generation to expand the scope of the practice’s work, originally forged by the founding partners, to become major Town Planning & Interior Design consultants, still retaining the original practice name of Rolfe-Judd, which made Tony very proud. Retirement at 60, however, proved to be just too early for Tony’s entrepreneurial spirit and at the beginning of the new Millennium, together with new business partners Stan Keep, Andy White and Ian McDonald, he formed a new London and Jersey based multi-disciplinary practice, Axis Mason.
Tony retained his interest is historic buildings at Axis Mason, working on projects for private clients in London and the Cotswolds. Alongside this, he helped the new practice to develop and expand in Jersey, winning major new workplace, residential and mixed-use projects and ultimately growing to become the largest practice in the Channel Islands.
This success allowed Axis Mason, under Tony’s leadership, to expand its operations further and new studios were opened in Durban South Africa, Gdansk Poland, and in Glasgow. By the time of Tony’s ‘second retirement’ in 2017, the practice had grown to a team of more than 60, working out of five studios on projects in Glasgow, Manchester, London, the Channel Islands, Poland, Czech, Bosnia, Russia, Egypt, South Africa, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.
For many years Tony was also a valued Trustee of the charity, Wavelength, which provides support for people who are simply lonely, or those living in hostels, or on the streets. And in recent years he added yet another string to his bow, taking up fly-fishing, which brought with it a new circle of like-minded chums. Tony’s wife, Chrystine, sadly passed away some years ago, as did his only brother, Ray. As his marriage had been childless, Tony left no immediate next-of-kin. He is, however, remembered by many friends and former work colleagues who will greatly miss his mischievous sense of humour and great company, none more so than his life-long friend and colleague, David Rolfe, a fellow Liveryman of the WCCA.
DARGAN BULLIVANT - 13th December 1925 - 12th January 2021
Dargan grew up in Birmingham, where his father worked as a jeweller. He was educated at Handsworth Grammar School, but at the onset of the Second World War, like many children, he was evacuated for a time, Dargan being sent to Stroud in the Cotswolds. On his return to Birmingham, he enrolled at the Birmingham School of Arts & Crafts, where his interest in design and architecture was to advance. His studies were cut short, however, as with the war still going on, he was called up, joining the Royal Navy as an Air Engineer Cadet, studying firstly maths and engineering at Edinburgh University, then aeronautics at Loughborough College, before finally qualifying as an Air Engineer Officer at the Royal Naval Engineering College, Devonport, and gaining a commission in the Fleet Air Arm.
After the war ended, he decided to return to his architectural studies, joining the AA School in London, and graduating with honours in 1949. It was at the AA where he met his wife, Pat. Dargan was fired with enthusiasm to find practical ways to make the promised ‘new social contract’ after the war a reality, and so joined the Ministry of Education, where he worked on several innovative secondary school projects, and he became a founding member of the Ministry of Education Development Group, dedicated to the design of new schools, led by Stirrat Johnson-Marshall, with David Medd, Mary Crowley, and Michael Ventris. His particular interest in the new technologies being developed after the war had secured him a Building Centre Scholarship in 1948, to study innovative building methods, and also systems for presenting technical information, and he subsequently wrote numerous articles on these subjects in the architectural press. His particular expertise resulted in his appointment as the Architects Journal’s Research Fellow in 1956, taking over from Michael Ventris. He studied information problems in the architectural profession, and subsequently formulated the SfB system for the classification of professional knowledge, later used by the AJ for their extensive publishing programme, the RIBA for its programme of technical services (RIBAS), also adopted for Building Research Station publications, and by the British Standards Institution, the Agrement Board, and Barbour Index services. Such was the influence of his SfB that it became interpreted as “Send for Bullivant”.
And never let it be said that a man cannot multi-task! After leaving the AA Dargan enrolled at London University, graduating first in Landscape Architecture in 1957, along with his wife, Pat and then, perhaps not surprisingly, in the new field of Information Science in 1958.
1958 was a pivotal year for Dargan. In association with architects Chamberlin Powell & Bon, he was appointed as Director of R & D for the Barbican redevelopment, producing two major reports, one on the Barbican scheme and the other, the University of Leeds Development Plan (1960). His work on the Barbican project was the springboard for him to set up own consultancy practice, Dargan Bullivant Associates, in Blackheath in 1960, where he led a large team on numerous projects including the development of Barbour Index Information Services, where Dargan acted as General Editor for 25 years, and with his staff of writers and graphic designers produced over 15,000 pages of high quality, technical information for architects and the building industry in each publication. He inspired a number of innovations in the presentation of trade data, and was from the late 1950’s part of a network of pioneer information scientists in the building industry, including in Sweden and Holland. In the vanguard of those like Chamberlin Powell & Bon and the City of Coventry, who advanced the concept of the office library in an era of information explosion, he was imbued with an evangelical spirit to solve the building industry’s problems.
He was to serve on the RIBA’s technical committee for 10 years, where he was involved with the development of the NBS and the Architect’s Management Handbook. Dargan also served on the AA Council, several BSI committees (he was the author of BS 4940, ‘The Presentation of Technical Information on Building Products’) and served as a consultant to RIBA Services, the Ministry of Public Building & Works, and the Ministry of Health. He played a part in the founding of the Agrement Board, in particular ensuring that their published information was presented in an appropriate way for architects’ use.
In 1992, aged 68, Dargan’s life in the fast lane was forced to slow down, as he suffered a heart attack. Seeing this as a warning blow, he decided to retire from practice, and enjoy life to the full. He took to travelling extensively, mainly in Southern Africa, Italy, Spain and in Turkey, where he was particularly taken by the many ancient classical city sites along the Turkish coast. His love of the Turkish coastline, the nearby Dodecanese Islands and the many architectural treasures they held, led him to set up Odysseus Cruising with some friends. This gulet holiday firm, based in Bodrum, allowed Dargan to promote his interests in the classical history and archaeology of the region, personally leading specialist holidays and passing on his enthusiasm and knowledge to many clients from across the world. Always thinking of ways to make things better, he redesigned the interior of his traditional gulet to make it exceptionally comfortable for his clients, many of which became very good friends as they had so enjoyed his educational approach, good humour and love of life.
In September 2017 at the age of 92, Dargan suffered a stroke. Remarkably it only really affected his short-term memory and ability to read, so he could continue to sketch as he always had done - this was a great comfort to him as he said himself, drawing always brought “peace to his mind”. Not one to give up easily, after his stroke he made a great effort through therapy to improve his reading as much as he could.
Very sadly, at a time which will be seen as the height of the pandemic in the UK, but before he could be protected by vaccination, Dargan contracted the Covid-19 coronavirus, and it quickly overcame him. At the grand age of 95, he continued to take pleasure in drawing to the very end of his very full life. He is survived, by his wife Pat, their four children, Lucy, a Liveryman of the WCCA, Victoria, Alexander and Helena, and six grandchildren.
***
For the reader’s information the family gave a collection of Dargan’s drawings and associated materials to the AA Archive in 2020, where it is currently being documented. Dargan is also to feature in the British Library’s Architects Lives audio series. The pandemic has interrupted the final editing of Dargan’s recordings, but it is on course for release online later in the spring of 2021, and details will be made known to WCCA members when finally released.
DARGAN BULLIVANT - Thoughts by Past Master, Peter Murray
Dargan was a contributor to AD in the post-WW2 period, working for the formidable doyenne of architectural publishers, Monica Pidgeon, who gave me my first job a decade or so later. Our paths cross over the years in the small world of architectural publishing and information. The two went very much in hand in those days - AD was owned by the Standard Catalogue Company, the RIBA Journal was run by NBS, but the work that Dargan did at AJ, and latterly at Barbour, was the gold standard. Some members of the Company will recall the days when The Times' front page was all classified ads, and the cover of the Architects' Journal was camouflage brown and filled with SfB listings.
We lost touch when Dargan ‘retired’, but I was very pleased meet up with him again and welcome him into the Company in my year as Master. Dargan was delightful company and a great addition to the Livery. I am also comforted that he managed to complete a series of recordings for the British Library’s Architects’ Lives series. As a member of the British Library’s advisory board, I had to stress that Dargan’s contribution to architecture might well be less prominent than those who build, but no less significant. I look forward to listening to his wise words once they are edited and available on-line.
JOHN MICHAEL WELBANK MBE - 2nd August 1930 - 15th September 2020
Past Master Michael Welbank MBE passed away peacefully at home on 15th September after suffering a stroke at the end of July, just before his 90th birthday.
Michael, always known by his middle name, grew up in Highgate and attended Highgate School. He went on to study architecture at UCL, and after qualifying held positions in private practice, and both local and central government, before joining Shankland Cox, where he was to become a director. He later became a director of the consultancy firm, Entec UK. During his career he was involved in a wide range of development, planning, environmental and conservation projects both in the UK and abroad.
Michael was admitted a Freeman of the Company in 1985, and became a Liveryman in January 1988, joining the Court eight months later. He was a Churchill Trust Fellow in 1989 and also a Visiting Professor at Oxford Brookes University. He was elected President of the Royal Town Planning Institute in 1992, and was Master of the WCCA in 1994.
Sadly, Michael’s wife, Alison, passed away in 2002. He subsequenty moved from South Hill Park, Hampstead, the family home for 40 years, to Belsize Avenue, and began to immerse himself in local government, becoming a Common Councilman of the City of London in 2005. As befitting his early experience of cross country runs across the Heath during his school days, he was involved in the running of Hampstead Heath for ten years, and during that time, with great aplomb, oversaw the controversial “Dams Project”. He subsequently chaired the Hampstead Heath Management Committee of the City of London Corporation for three years, stepping down in 2012 to chair the City of London Corporation’s Planning & Transportation Committee, where he oversaw the development of the Smithfield’s Market site
Resulting from his role at the City of London Corporation, he was appointed to the Museum of London’s board of governors in 2007.
In 2013 Michael was awarded an MBE for services to Local government and the North West London community. Typically, in receiving the award he stated: “It is a recognition of the very great contribution that the City of London Corporation makes to London, and to all its open spaces.” So not about the pivotal part he personally played in making things happen!
Michael was elected as the Chief Commoner in the City of London Corporation for the year 2016, which was indeed a very great honour, and a position he relished and filled with great distinction. As Chief Commoner he promoted the aims, values and responsibilities of the City of London Corporation.
Michael was always a generous host, and he was very generous to the WCCA donating a range of specially commissioned badges of office to a selection of Company officers.
Michael had so many talents - during his life he was both an accomplished architect, town planner and latterly a very wise mediator. He was also a talented water colourist. He will be sorely missed by so many people he touched in such a long and distinguished career serving the London community.
Michael is survived by his children, Katherine, Julian and William.
RICHARD ARGYLL BEASTALL - 11th March 1961 - 5th August 2020
Liveryman Richard Beastall sadly passed away on 5th August 2020 after a long battle with cancer.
Born in Matlock, Derbyshire, Richard had a calling for architecture from a very early age. It seems there were many family influences at work, and several friends in the property sector. “I only ever wanted to be an architect. Even from the age of six, although I didn’t know what it meant then!”
Richard studied architecture at Nottingham University, doing his year out at Nottingham County Council, and gaining his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1985. He joined TP Bennett directly afterwards, quickly becoming an associate and then a partner.
Richard’s enthusiasm for collaborating with end-users led him to start TP Bennett’s highly successful interiors division in 1997, bringing specialist expertise together in one unit. He strongly believed in blending the skills of the team and developing the career paths of those he worked with. He was a great advocate of being approachable to his younger colleagues, and believed in strong collaboration between the project team and the client. When Richard set up TP Bennett’s interiors division, he started with a team of 15. Under his leadership, the division grew into the largest interiors team in the UK.
Richard’s skill in blending architecture and interiors to create inspiring places, particularly for large-scale office headquarters, led him to design many high profile, award-winning projects over the last 20 years, designing significant headquarters projects for Goldman Sachs, Lovells, The Guardian, PwC, Schroders, and Spotify.
He spoke regularly at conferences on the future of the workplace, and served on the British Council for Offices Board of Management for fourteen years. He was member of the City Property Association, the City Architecture Forum, and a supporter of the Outward Bound Trust. He was admitted as a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects in 2015, and became a Liveryman the following year.
Richard had a real zest for life and travel, and was passionately engaged by the people he met through his career and socially. His indomitable optimism and boundless positivity made him a loved and respected pillar of the architectural and interior design world.
He is survived by his husband, Martyn, his parents and three sisters, and leaves a huge void in the property and design community. Richard will be missed by all who knew him.
PETER LUSCOMBE - 7th July 1935 - 12th June 2020
Past Master Peter Luscombe sadly passed away at Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone, on 12th June, after suffering a major heart attack. He was one of the founder members of the Company, and was Master in 1991-92. His sudden death was a huge shock to his friends - sadly, he leaves no close family.
Peter’s creative ability was apparent very early on in life - he is remembered by his life-long friend, David Rickard, as being an avid builder of model houses in balsa wood when they were young boys. Following his secondary education at Sutton High School in Plymouth, Peter embarked on a career in Architecture, and became “articled” to a local practice. This was a slow route to qualifying as an Architect, but quite common in the 1950’s. As was the custom, articled pupils were not paid in those days, so a good degree of dedication was required to see the training through. Hand in hand with his architectural training, Peter was also now refining his skills in water colour painting.
After seeing his pupilage through, Peter took a post with the Building and Works Department at Devonport Dockyard, where he made his mark designing two multi- storied office buildings at Mount Wise, Devonport, overlooking the Hamoaze at the mouth of the River Tamar, near to the Scot Memorial. But after a while working in Devonport, his passion for Victorian architecture and aspirations to involve himself more in conservation work led him to move to the bright lights of London, where he joined the well-known firm of Ley Colbeck, Chartered Architects, rising through the ranks in the 1980’s to become a partner.
Several of the leading lights from Ley Colbeck merged with the Halpern Partnership in 1992, Peter amongst them. He brought to Halpern his particular expertise in conservation projects - the great understanding he had of delicate design issues. Peter contributed to many City office development during the 1990’s before retiring from Halperns (now Formation Architects) in 2000, and is remembered by former work colleagues for his thorough knowledge of classical Architecture, and great skill in formulating graceful solutions to complicated architectural problems. With his particular artistic flair, he was well known for presenting projects using perspectives in water-colour, his favourite medium.
Peter’s concern for the City’s historic fabric led him to serve on the Conservation Area Advisory Committee, which he joined in March 2005, and later the City Heritage Society, becoming Chairman in 2014. He greatly enjoyed both positions, still held at the time of his death.
Peter was greatly admired, held in very high esteem by his CAAC & CHS colleagues, and will be sadly missed by his many friends.
PETER LUSCOMBE - An Appreciation by David Cole-Adams, Clerk Emeritus
It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Peter Luscombe recently. Peter was one of the founder members of the Company of Chartered Architects and, by virtue of the fact that he was also a member of the Painter-Stainers’ Company, and had considerable experience of working on buildings in the Square Mile, quickly found himself elected to the Court of the fledgling company in 1986. He was elected as Master for the year 1991-92 and remained on the court until 1999.
His year as Master was marked particularly by the Company’s first participation in the Lord Mayor’s Show as part of a joint entry with the Constructors’ Company whose master had become a good friend through their mutual involvement as architect and contractor in a couple of City projects. Peter brought his artistic talents to bear in designing the float under the strap line – “Two Sides of the One Coin” and producing the necessary art work. His year also saw the erection of the WCCA shield in Guildhall and the first Company carol service at St Mary-le-Bow (where Peter served as a Church Warden). It is likely that Peter fired the first shot in the search for a permanent home for the Company in the City. This had been a requirement of the Company Ordinances and a Hall Committee was established in his year.
Peter was born in Plymouth and undertook his architectural education in that city. This took to form of an ‘articled pupilage’ with a small local practice operating out of a ‘dingy upstairs office’ in the city. Little can be established about his early working experience, though old friends advise that he headed for London as soon as was practical, and was soon to be found working with the well-established practice Ley Colbeck and Partners alongside Alan Luke, who was among the founding fathers of the WCCA. His workload involved him in a good amount of conservation work. He remained with the practice until it was merged into the Halpern Partnership Ltd serving them as a consultant for a few years.
His professional life led him to his involvement with the City. He joined the Painter-Stainers’ Company in 1983 and served as Chairman of their Fine Art Society for several years and latterly Deputy Chairman. He was very involved with his painting (watercolours were his preferred medium) and a number of Past Masters will recall being invited to Painters’ Hall for a reception at their annual art exhibition which always featured a number of his works and frequently, in my experience, featured Peter sitting on a stool in the middle of the exhibition working away as the ‘artist in residence’. He joined the WCCA shortly after, and it is of interest to note that it is his signature that adorns the Livery Certificates of those members of the Company who were admitted to the Livery en mass shortly after the grant of Livery was bestowed by the Court of Aldermen.
Also, on the art front, Peter was a member of the Society of Marine Artists and other art societies, and frequently displayed his works in their exhibitions – most notably at the Mall Galleries each year. His work was well regarded.
It was probably as a direct result of his involvement with conservation projects that Peter developed his interest in the historic buildings of the City, serving on the Conservation Area Advisory Committee whose officers advise that they ‘will miss him as his contributions were always perceptive and lucid’. He became involved in the refurbishment of the Bishopsgate Institute before being introduced to the City Heritage Society. He took over the chairmanship of the Society founded by Douglas Woodward CBE in succession to Anne Thomas and Desmond Fitzpatrick – he held the post until the current year when he was looking forward to passing on the role to Dorian Crone. He took a very active part in formulating opinions of the proposed new City buildings which came before the Society for comment, and was forthright and fair in his commentary on the proposals.
His other interests revolved around the various churches with which he was involved. He was, for many years, a Church Warden at St Mary-le-Bow and was a Parish Clerk of one of the former churches which came under the umbrella of St Mary-le-Bow. His particular parish was that of St Faith Under St Paul’s. A curious parish, the early building dating from pre-11th century was ‘physically removed’ in 1256 to allow for the eastern extension of St Paul’s’. The congregation (comprising mainly the printers gathered around the Paternoster area) continued to meet in the crypt of the gothic cathedral until the Great Fire. The parish, in the form of Peter, continued to be recognised when a toast might be proposed to St Faith Under St Paul’s at formal gatherings of the Parish Clerk’s Company.
Peter was a thoroughly nice man to know and to travel with – he was good company. He joined one of the study trips which I organised to the eastern seaboard of the United States – it was, I think I recall him telling me, the first time he had been abroad. He was a keen and not uncritical observer of style and detail. Like some others on the trip he was surprised to find himself less than impressed by some of the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings we visited. He was generous with his help and advice - literally a week before his untimely death, I had a couple of long conversations with him aimed at trying to identify some of the early winners of the Company’s New City Architecture Awards, which were initially run in conjunction with the City Heritage Society. He patiently carried out the necessary research and came up with the answers I was seeking from what had been hard to locate records. He then proceeded to give me his individual critique of some of the more prominent of those winning buildings and their more recent successors. All very entertaining, and in many cases, spot-on!
JOHN PANKHURST GRIFFITHS - 27th SEPTEMBER 1930 - 13th APRIL 2020
Freeman John Griffiths sadly passed away at St Michael’s Hospice in East Sussex on Easter Monday, 13th April.
His grandfather had a building firm, and after the Second World War, undertook war damage repair work. This was to spark John’s early interest in building conservation work.
After qualifying as an Architect, he worked in Nigeria for the international architect Maxwell Fry, before returning to the UK to become Staff Architect for Granada Television. He was Founder Director of the Manchester Building Centre, and also the Manchester Design Centre, the latter affiliated to the Design Centre in London. For these endeavours he was named ‘Man of the Year’ by the Architects’ Journal.
John joined the Civil Service as Head of Technical Information for the Ministry of Public Building & Works, now DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. He was responsible for government building exhibitions, films and the preparation of HMSO leaflets on good building practice. Seeing a need for more public involvement, he set up the Building Conservation Trust, which established a permanent exhibition in Hampton Court Palace, where the public could access practical building conservation advice.
Amenity and civic matters were always an active concern of John’s, becoming a Trustee of the Surrey Historic Buildings Trust, and then the Clerk to the Tylers & Bricklayers Company for a period, before becoming Clerk of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects in 1995, the year that David Cole-Adams was Master. John held the post for five years, modernising many Company procedures during his tenure as Clerk, to bring us firmly into the 21st century.
Upon retiring from practice, he and his wife, Helen, moved to Rye in Sussex, a place he had known well since boyhood. He was invited to join the committee of the Rye Conservation Society, and became its Chairman in 2011, stepping down from the Chair only two years ago to become the Society’s President. John cared passionately about local conservation matters, and as Chairman of the Rye Society, had forged links with other nearby amenity societies to give the members at Rye valuable insights into conservation issues experienced, and fought hard for, in other historic towns in the South East of England.
John adored Rye, its old buildings, cobbled streets and its setting - a love which is vividly illustrated in his book ‘A Look at the Buildings of Rye’, which also highlighted his skill as a photographer.
John is survived by his wife, Helen, two sons, Matthew & Jonathan, and daughter, Jay, a well-published author.
JOHN GRIFFITHS - An Appreciation by David Cole-Adams, Clerk Emeritus
My first task following my installation as Master in September 1995 was the gowning of the new Clerk, John Griffiths. John’s appointment came in the wake of the retirement of Len Groome OBE earlier that year, and a period of interregnum during which clerking duties were undertaken by Stuart Murphy. John’s arrival was a blessing in so many ways. His training and work as an Architect meant that he had an immediate understanding of the culture of the profession, and the fact that he was a Freeman of many years standing and, indeed, a sometime clerk of the Tylers and Bricklayers’ Company, meant that he understood the culture of the livery movement and the City.
His arrival was timely also in that he had style, and actually liked working with computers -
a welcome change as his predecessor’s documents were produced on a ‘steam-driven’ Remington typewriter, whose only ribbon should have been pensioned off some decades earlier, and which didn’t seem to have a facility for creating margins! John quickly got the Company organised, produced our first Members’ Handbook, and an organised database, and produced a Court Handbook, a copy of which was presented to each new Assistant.
His experience of organising exhibitions and displays stood him in good stead when it came to making arrangements for events, and he was excellent at disseminating information. He had a wicked sense of humour which manifested itself in all manner of ways - quite often unexpectedly. I recall when I first visited John and Helen’s house in East Molesey in the run up to taking over the Clerkship at the end of his term of office, being greeted by a lady in full Victorian afternoon dress who was seated at an upright piano. It turned out that the piano was capable of playing itself, and the lady was an exhibition model!
John’s advice to me when I became Clerk was that, somewhere there was a book entitled “101 Ways to Mess up a Clerk’s Life”. He had not been able to source the book to pass on to me, but advised that most of the ways “to mess up a Clerk’s life” related to the collection of quarterage and other monies - all too true! He also, as a bit of a wind-up I think, passed on to me amongst his computer files, a database in which he had recorded the seating preferences of Company members and guests at formal dinners etc. When I looked into this there were columns for those who wished to sit next to their wives/husbands, those who wanted to sit opposite their wife/husband, those who wanted to sit next to someone else’s wife/husband, and those who would rather that their partners were seated either in a different room, or at an entirely different function! Don’t even ask about his ways of recording dietary requirements.
It was a great pleasure to know and to work with John - we communicated fairly often and he was always good company.
When he retired as Clerk, he and Helen made a generous donation to the Company to use as the Trustees saw fit. We have many reasons to be grateful to them both.
Freeman Russ Craig - 2nd July 1935 - 16th December 2019
Freeman Russ Craig sadly passed away at the Isabel Hospice, in Welwyn Garden City, on 16th December. He became a Freeman in the early 1990’s, by which time his wife, Carol, had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and this prevented him taking full advantage of membership of the Company. A close friend of Past Master, Dr Mervyn Miller, for many years, Russ attended the annual banquet in 2013 during Mervyn’s year as Master.
Born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Russ was educated at Liverpool University School of Architecture, where he also took a postgraduate diploma in Civic Design.
Russ had a distinguished career as a local government Architect, including the Greater London Council, and Hertfordshire County Council Planning Department, where he was recruited to the newly formed Design Section. He dealt with design and heritage applications across the North & East of the county, and for many years was convenor of the Architects’ Advisory Panel. Russ took over the devolved BEAMS organisation, which provided heritage & design advice to the Hertfordshire District Councils created in 1974. He notably oversaw the restoration of Place House, Ware, one of the most outstanding mediaeval timber-framed buildings in the county, for the Hertfordshire Building Preservation Trust.
Many organisations across Hertfordshire and RIBA Eastern Region, will have been enriched by Russ’s generosity of time, and unstinting help over many years. He will be sorely missed.
MICHAEL PETER WEST, MCD, BArch (L'pool), FRTPI, RIBA, FRSA - 21 June 1939 – 13 November 2019
Post qualification at Liverpool University Michael took up appointments in private practice in the offices of Eric Lyons, Shankland Cox & Partners and Sir Hugh Wilson before a period in central and local government with appointments to principal posts with the Greater London Council and the City of Westminster. He then successively was Deputy Director of Planning to the Government of Bermuda and Director of the Central London Planning Conference, followed by six years as Borough Planner of the London Borough of Southwark.
In 1981 he returned to private practice with Twigg Brown & Partners, founding Twigg Brown West planning consultancy which, in 1992 was incorporated as West & Partners (in conjunction with Chris Francis and subsequently joined by Peter Long) a town planning and architectural practice. Michael made numerous expert witness appearances at public inquiries combining his town planning expertise with detailed experience of listed buildings and historic townscape also advising national and international clients on commercial, manufacturing, residential and public works projects.
A founding member of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects Michael was proud to be elected to serve as Master for 2001 – 2002, and directly afterwards to hold the office of Chairman of the Trustees of the Company’s Charitable Trust Fund for 15 years.
TERENCE GEORGE ELSON - 19th July 1935 - 10th Nov 2019
Terence, or Terry as he was known to some, was the eldest child of Joseph and Olive Elson. Joseph was a carpenter who worked in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, which provided Terence with his first taste of construction and design, both of which fascinated him.
After completing his O-Level GCE’s in 1951, Terence managed to secure an Articled Pupil position at Clifford Culpin & Partners. As he was just 16 years old, his father had to sign the indenture papers, and he started work for only the cost of his study and fare to London, plus a small amount of luncheon vouchers! So with his father’s financial support, Terence worked for Culpin’s during the day and studied at night school, first at the Woolwich Polytechnic, and at 18 gained a place at the Regent Street Polytechnic, now known as Westminster University. Sadly Terence’s father passed away when he was 19, but Culpin’s offered to pay him a small salary, which with financial support from his mother, and eldest sister, Maureen, allowed him to continue his Articles.
Terence did so well in his Part 1 exams in 1956, that he was awarded a Major County Scholarship. This allowed him to study full time for his Part 2, but still with some support from his family. After completing Part 2 in 1959, Terrence found employment with Denys Lasdun, and achieved his Diploma in Architecture in 1961, whilst enjoying his work in the exciting company that Lasdun was developing.
By 1966 Terence had decided that he wanted to study Town Planning, and with the construction industry experiencing something of a downturn, he accepted a job at Westminster City Council as an Architect, with the proviso that they would pay for him to study for a Diploma in Town Planning. Terence duly attended the Polytechnic of Central London, studying part time. For his final thesis he reviewed play spaces in Local Authority housing - his two young daughters appearing in the photographs he used to illustrate his thesis. Terence worked at Westminster for 18 years, seeing many changes to the Council and its policies during that time. He often attended planning committee meetings and was passionate about design quality. He was one of the early Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects, and also became a member of the Royal Society of Arts.
In 1985 he was offered the role of Controller of Architecture at the City of London Corporation. Terence was fascinated by the City and its history, and took every opportunity to enjoy his short time there. When the City decided to merge the roles of Controller of Architecture and Controller of Planning, Terence decided not to apply and instead took up a long-standing offer from one of his old colleagues to work back in private practice at John R Harris & Partners. Here he worked as a Consultant Architect and Planner on an amazing array of projects, from the refurbishment of the Dorchester Hotel to rebuilding Strangeways Prison after the rioting there. He left Harris’s in 1992 due to illness, and having been diagnosed with colon cancer, underwent major surgery and chemotherapy. In typical Terence-style he fought his way back to good health, and enjoyed a long and interesting retirement. He never lost his love of learning, and was a passionate reader and firm believer in the circular nature of life, never throwing away anything he thought might come in useful or inspire future generations.
After becoming ill and admitted to hospital in the autumn of 2019, Terrence was sadly diagnosed with leukaemia and passed away soon afterwards. He is survived, by his wife, Yvonne, their three children, Laura, Helen and Ian, and seven grandchildren, who all miss him, but know it will be many years before they get through all the books, information and writing he left behind for the generations to follow.
JOHN WHEATLEY - 30 AUGUST 30 – 18 AUGUST 2019
John Wheatley was one of the earliest members of the WCCA, attended the inaugural meeting at which the fledgling company was launched. His membership number was 10, he joined the Court within a year of its establishment and, following the grant of Livery in 1988, he quickly rose to be Master in 1990 being the first to do so who did not have connections with the City or another livery company. He died in a nursing home at the end of August after a period of increasing frailty.
John was a Director of the major commercial practice Covell Matthews Wheatley (formerly the Covell Matthews Partnership) who were one if the first practices to be listed on the London Stock Exchange when this became possible in 1987. He was responsible for a number of significant projects not just in the City but also in Reading and Cambridge. He would have been amused to know that, in recent years, his most notable building - the blue glass office headquarters building for Samuel Montagu Bank on a site adjacent the original Billingsgate Fish Market on Upper Thames Street- is to be found featured on a post card on sale in the RIBA bookshop. Other major projects included several business parks in the UK, Sony UK's headquarters at Brooklands, Weybridge and British Aerospace's headquarters on Farnborough Airfield.
The floated practice did not flourish and John retired to carry out modest developments on his own account on the south coast. He also made time to indulge his great love for modern classical music – a subject on which he was most knowledgeable to the extent that he was the guest on an episode of Private Passions on BBC3 and gave numerous talks. He was particularly interested in the relationship between music and architecture and the natural environment.
He was, by all accounts a good cricketer playing at just below county level in his native Essex and he was very good company in any social setting. John’s wife Pam died in 2009 and John is survived by their two children.