“Richard was two years older than me so joined the school in 1945 and left (I believe) in 1953 to attend one of the Birmingham Universities.

He took an engineering degree and went to work in Switzerland for Sulzers the marine and heavy diesel engine manufacturers and married Yvonne a Swiss girl (still alive). They had two daughters Angela and DK. Angela was Chief Financial Officer for The Vancouver Health Care Authority but returned to England a few years ago to look after her parents and sick sister.

Richard was quiet, studious and thoughtful and interested in technical matters, cars, engines, steam locos etc., even at school. We went train spotting together but he was Midland (LMS) and I was Eastern (LNER ) so not always compatible – and our fathers worked on those respective railways cradle to grave, (Don’t hear of that much these days). Railways were in our blood.

Richard and his wife moved back to England some years ago and lived in Chester “.