ABOUT US! - Members Remembered
DON DICKSON (1930 - 2010)
It is with much sadness that we have to report the death of Don Dickson.
He died peacefully in hospital on Tuesday 9th February 2010
Don had been a Member of Nailsea and District Model Railway Club for many years, and was Club Secretary, as recently as last year. His knowledge of model railways was extensive, and his opinion was always valued. He was regarded as a true friend and companion to us all.
Don was born in Wembley in 1930, and moved to Bath at the outbreak of the war. After a short career in the Navy, he returned to Bath. It was here that he met his wife Babette, and they were married in 1957. It was Babette’s father that originally got Don interested in model railways; prior to this he was only interested in ‘big trains’. In 1960 they moved to Ickenham in West London for a job promotion, and then, in 1964 to Liphook in Hampshire.
He returned to the West Country in 1970, as a result of another job promotion, and settled in Nailsea. Whilst in Hampshire he had been a member of the Liphook Model Railway Club, and was therefore keen to join another Club. He first joined ‘The Bristol 7-4-2’ Club which had regular meetings in the crypt of St Michaels on the Mount Church, St Michaels Hill, Bristol close to The Bristol Royal Infirmary. The unusual name of the club, which was founded in 1949, reflected the club's aims to model in 7mm, 4mm and 2mm scales.
Don still kept his contact with Liphook, and arranged for the ‘7-4-2’ club to be represented at the Liphook annual club exhibition, with a small layout named “St Niklaus” (owned by Member Bob Taylor). As a result of this, Don and other Club members jointly decided that a transportable 2mm layout should be built for exhibition purposes, which would enable the club to become more widely known and possibly attract new members. Don's enthusiasm for this was instrumental; designing track plans, building baseboards etc. and finally this layout, known as "Mount Hill", saw the ‘light of day’.
Around this time, the Association of Model Railway Club's Wales and West was organising their annual Bristol Exhibition, initially held at The Victoria Rooms in Clifton and subsequently in the Bristol Exhibition Centre on the Dockside. Once again Don was very enthusiastic that the club should become a member of the Association and happily volunteered to attend their meetings and report back. As a result of his efforts, the ‘Bristol 7-4-2 Club’ was accepted into the Association.
Don's work in Bristol also took him to Plymouth on a regular basis, and it wasn’t long before he had joined the Plymouth and District Model Railway Club, invariably arranging his visits to coincide with their Club Night! With a ‘foot in both camps’ Don ensured that both club's maintained close contact, and the ‘Bristol 7-4-2’ Club participated in several of the Plymouth club's exhibitions held at the city Guildhall.
In 1981, a further job promotion led to Don moving to Sutton Coldfield, but he still remained involved in the organisation of the Bristol Exhibition. As his club in Sutton Coldfield was outside of the Wales and West's area, Don, and several other's in a similar situation, decided, in 1988, to form a club known as ‘The Three Towns’ Club. The members were essentially people in Plymouth, Bristol and Sutton Coldfield who were away from their areas but who came together each year to assist at the annual Bristol Exhibition. ‘Three Towns’ had one official meeting per year which was their AGM held on the Saturday afternoon of the exhibition, at 3.00pm.
By the time Don retired, and subsequently returned to Nailsea, for the second time, the Bristol ‘7-4-2’ Club was having difficulties with lack of members and were also in danger of being without premises. The decision was taken to wind up the club and that is how Don Dickson became associated with the Nailsea and District Club, joining the Club in 1992.
Don mainly modelled in ‘N’ Gauge and ‘OO9 narrow gauge, and was a member of both societies. In the ‘N Gauge Society he was leader of their local North Somerset Area Group. He exhibited his layouts throughout the area, and beyond, although, more recently these have been the smaller ‘OO9’ exhibits.
Don died peacefully in hospital on Tuesday 9th February;complications had developed relating to a blood disorder. He will be a great loss to the Club. Members intend to remember him by dedicating a new Club trophy in his honour.
Article written by Stephen Ash (Nailsea and District Model Railway Club).
Many thanks to Roger Fithyan (ex-member of Bristol 7-4-2’ MRC), for providing much of the content of this article.
Also many thanks to Don’s daughter Ann, for providing information in support of this article.
Many thanks to Roger Fithyan (ex-
Donations may be made to the British Heart Foundation, and these should be sent to the funeral directors:
“Arthur E Davey and Sons”, 82 Silver Street, Nailsea BS48 2DS.