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Roy Jackson


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Very sad news.

 

Some years ago now, Paul (Mr. Worsdell) introduced me to Roy, at an EM-North event and I was immediately impressed by his no nonsense approach to the hobby.

 

Since that date I have been privileged to visit 'Retford' a few times and also enjoyed meeting Roy, when our paths have crossed on the exhibition circuit.  It was always a great pleasure to talk to him and usually learn something.  I was always surprised that Roy remembered me, often with a robust acknowledgement!

 

My sincere condolences to Roy's family and his close friends.  Roy was one of the most engaging and inspirational characters in the railway modelling community and he will be missed by so many of us.

 

John.

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I first met Roy on Retford station when we were both in our very early teens. On seeing the model of Retford a couple of years ago I was gobsmacked! Roy was a perfect host and treated both me and my wife to a splendid coffee and cake. He is sadly missed and I am very worried about the future of Retford when the property is sold. RIP old friend.

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I found a video I took on my phone on my last visit to 'Retford' on 23 June 2018. Roy can be seen and heard in the background.

 

https://youtu.be/Jdd8Av1vGqc

 

I think the train includes the mail vans that were built by John Houlden and loaned to Roy. I recall Roy phoning me excitedly to tell me about these superb vans that John had loaned to him, along with many other carriages.

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On 11/06/2019 at 20:23, iak said:

Sad, sad news this.

I have some wonderful memories of Roy from years ago, his honest opinions could be blunt to some but you knew it was genuine, good or bad.

The layouts he was involved with, all those locomotives and the masterpiece, Retford. All are testament to his skills and frankly those skills should be celebrated and remembered.

Our hobby is poorer on Roy's passing...

 

A really good posting, Iain. Says everything most of us feel about Roy's passing

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18 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

Roy's funeral was held today; this may sound quite inappropriate but it's certainly not intended that way, this was the nicest and most enjoyable funeral I have ever been to. This is largely thanks to his daughter, Sally-Anne, who made the most marvellous welcome, a tribute with so many tales and anecdotes of Roy's life, interests and foibles and a fitting end to the ceremony. She truly is a chip off the old block. Along with the tribute from Geoff Kent it was evident from the near-200 strong attendance that Roy meant much to so many people who wished to say farewell.

 

A sad but fitting day.

 

Well said Andy. It was also quite lovely that many people travelled for many hours to be there.

 

There are stories that will be told about Roy for many years to come and there are stories that will remain private memories but he won't be forgotten.

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Many thanks to you both for reporting back from Roy's send off, I'm not in the least surprised at the size of the turnout. Kim and I would have been there had we not been working at Glastonbury. 

Roy liked his music, he played a bit of jazz in his younger days. I got to have a go on one of his guitars on one of our visits.

RIP 

 

Jerry 

 

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Well, we didn't go there to enjoy ourselves, as Roy might have said, but in a funny sort of way as Andy said we did. What a great turnout it was to see off a truly great man.

 

There was a collection for Macmillan Cancer Support, so, anyone who couldn't make it, next time you see one of their collection tins, pop a few coppers in and think of Roy.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Gents,

 

I did not know until after his death that Roy was into Jazz, an interest we shared. I have sent a request to Jazz Record Requests for a Gerry Mulligan track in his memory. It may not happen, but I hope it might.

 

Geoff Tiffany said Roy had met GM on a US visit.

 

John

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Roy got to meet a good number of Jazz performers and also the likes of Chuck Berry. His all time favourite was Stan Getz, who he saw a few times. He liked his early Rock and Roll and some Blues almost as much as his Jazz (but not quite). Somewhere he kept a big collection of concert programmes, many signed. He told me about them but I never saw the collection.

 

It was slightly unnerving to go over to the big shed to do a bit on Retford and to find some strange and seemingly unrelated notes blasting out of the sound system.

 

After a few comments about me being an uneducated so and so we usually put some Blues or Rock and Roll on, which I could cope with. My Dad was a big Jazz fan but I have never really learned to appreciate much of it.

 

The dog in the open top car was called Jazz. 

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On 26/07/2019 at 22:54, t-b-g said:

Roy got to meet a good number of Jazz performers and also the likes of Chuck Berry. His all time favourite was Stan Getz, who he saw a few times. He liked his early Rock and Roll and some Blues almost as much as his Jazz (but not quite). Somewhere he kept a big collection of concert programmes, many signed. He told me about them but I never saw the collection.

 

It was slightly unnerving to go over to the big shed to do a bit on Retford and to find some strange and seemingly unrelated notes blasting out of the sound system.

 

After a few comments about me being an uneducated so and so we usually put some Blues or Rock and Roll on, which I could cope with. My Dad was a big Jazz fan but I have never really learned to appreciate much of it.

 

The dog in the open top car was called Jazz. 

 

Correct his beloved retriever in the TR was named Jazz.

He is buried in front of the house and according to Roy was 

'A Proper dog  and not one of those wishy washy examples..'  sounds like Roy!

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  • 3 months later...
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On 26/07/2019 at 22:38, John Smart said:

Gents,

 

I did not know until after his death that Roy was into Jazz, an interest we shared. I have sent a request to Jazz Record Requests for a Gerry Mulligan track in his memory. It may not happen, but I hope it might.

 

Geoff Tiffany said Roy had met GM on a US visit.

 

John

John

 

Just catching up on Jazz Record Requests via BBC Sounds, and your request was played as the first one on the Saturday 1st Dec edition.  A very warm tribute, and Alyn Shipton emphasised the modelling connection.  Thanks for sending it in.  Jazz and model railways - a perfect combination.

Best, Richard

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I’m so pleased that the request for Roy was played. He was a great jazz fan and often played jazz in the railway shed.

 

He had a wide taste in Jazz music but he was very keen on Stan Kenton and some Stan Kenton tracks were played at his funeral.

Sandra

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
6 hours ago, t-b-g said:

The good folk involved with securing a future for the layout prefer to carry out their task behind the scenes, with a degree of privacy.

 

I am sure we will find out more in due course.

 

 

I totally understand. It is reassuring to hear there will hopefully be a future. One conversation I had with Roy gave the impression he thought it would end up being scrapped which I found deeply upsetting.

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12 minutes ago, sjp23480 said:

There is a picture of Retford at AIMREC in Ashford?

 

I did a few pics to help Cliff with the display, some of layouts that are there and others which are general visual material.

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