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Railway & Modelling Obituaries

Geoff Endacott


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I’m shocked and very sad to hear the news about Geoff.
I have taken Much Murkle to both Trainwest and Calne shows in the past and on each occasion Geoff ensured that we were well looked after. He had a well earned reputation for putting on great shows and It is only recently we were in touch again about the show he was planning for Calne later this year. 
The hobby generally has a lot to thank Geoff for and I’m sure that Bentley Group will miss him greatly.

My thoughts go out to his friends and family.

RIP

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I thought there was some mistake when I saw this thread; only last week there was a post by Geoff on here. I’ve never met him but I very much enjoyed his RMWeb contributions. It is a sign of the times, I suppose, that you can feel a sense of loss for someone you only knew through a common-interest Internet forum. 

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Very sad to hear this news, my condolences to his family and friends.

All of Geoff’s shows I attended were impeccably conceived, planned and run.

When you saw him at the show he always looked utterly in control and at the very top of his game.

A sad loss especially now with the prospect, hopefully, of shows restarting and we would have seen him back in action, entertaining and bringing a smile back to faces.
//Simon

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Can I please add my thoughts and condolences. The posts on here share a common theme - shock and a huge sense of loss. Having attended Geoff's shows as both exhibitor and visitor, and bantered with him on here they are also my feelings. Our world has lost a character and advocate of the hobby.

 

Rest in peace, Geoff. You will be missed but you leave a lasting legacy.

 

 

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I’ve just seen the sad news about the passing of Geoff.

 

I didn’t know Geoff personally, but had communicated on exhibition matters in the past with Geoff.

 

You will be greatly missed.

 

RIP Geoff

 

Terry 

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On 20/02/2021 at 13:39, Calnefoxile said:

 

As a member of the Committe of Bentley Model Railway Group, I'd just like to confirm what  Rob @37114 has posted.

 

Obviously as friends of Geoff we are all very shocked at the moment and are trying to help the family as much as we can. As Rob has also said, Geoff was a big force behind BMRG both as Exhibition Manager and Treasurer, and as such we will be making decisions on the future of both the Club and the Exhibitions, however this won't be for a while.

 

So can I ask that all those that have invites to both Calne 2021 & Trainwest 2022 to please just give us time before trying to contact anyone in the Club about the Exhibitions, we will be in touch as soon as we can with a decision either way.

 

Many thanks for your understanding and condolences, which we will pass on to the Family at the appropriate time.

 

Many Regards

 

Neal Mansell.

Neal

Please accept my condolences to Geoff’s family and to the Bentley Group.   I didn’t know Geoff other than to say ‘hello’ but I do know several of the group’s members through the old Thursday night sessions at Dave’s place in Trowbridge and can imagine their feelings at this time.   As you say now is not the time to be making decisions about the future but, hopefully, you’ll find a way of keeping Calne and Trainwest going in Geoff’s memory.

 

John

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I’ve just heard this very sad news through a friend. 
 

Unfortunately due to Covid, I never got to meet Geoff in person, even though he tried to get Oak Road to Trainwest 2020, 2021, and then finally 2022.

 

My thoughts are with Geoff’s family at this difficult time and if 2022 does go ahead, I will be there to do him proud. 
 

Mike

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry to have only just caught up with this sad news.
Even sorrier to hear of Geoff's passing :( 

Geoff invited me to several shows, and I'm glad to say I was able to make the club's show a couple of times.
It was always very well run, and Geoff was a smashing guy to speak to. I'm so saddened to hear this news :( 

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Sorry to hear this and condolences to those particularly affected.

 

We always particularly liked the Calne show as a family, the right size to take the whole family even those not quite so interested in Model Railways. There always seemed to be a lot of families there, good for advertising the hobby.

 

I hope the committee can carry on with the shows as a testament to Geoff, I am sure that is what he would have wanted.

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Bit late to this, very sad news indeed.

 

Geoff was a one off, a character in so many ways; not always the easiest person to talk to, but his heart was always in the right place.

 

He was an organiser of shows par excellence, so many shows over so many years, including a spell with the Westinghouse MRC before moving to or even setting up the Bentley group, I wonder whether exhibitions weren't really his raison d'être?

 

He was also a vastly knowledgable enthusiast for the Western Region hydraulics, and wrote several really good books on the subject, back in the day when this was not the norm, the UK enthusiast market being much more tuned in to steam. Geoff was a very clever and intelligent man on many levels.

 

I claim a personal connection in as much as I was taught by both Geoff's dad  and mum in Chippenham, Fred being the headmaster of Westmead County Junior school, opposite George Flowers scrapyard and up the hill and in "smellshot" of the Oxo factory. Geoff's mum taught there too. Fred was great, and helped me get into Grammar school when we moved from Chippenham to Bath in 1970, Bath still being the old fuddy duddy single sex system where Chippenham was new fangled comprehensive and co-educational. At the time I wasn't happy with the move, but I have more or less got over it fifty years later(!)

 

Fred himself only died a few years ago which makes this feel even more cruel and wrong.

 

RIP Geoff, you will never be forgotten and have been the most fantastic advocate for this wonderful hobby of ours.

 

Simon Castens

Edited by Not Jeremy
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Somehow I've only just caught up with this and I would also like to add my deepest condolences to Geoff's family and friends.

 

I took layouts to two of the Bentley shows and they were always extremely well organised, with Geoff being a most helpful and friendly host.

 

He was also a regular attendee at the Taunton RMWeb Members Days, at which he would also sometimes spot a layout or two that subsequently got an invitation to one of his own shows.

 

This is shocking and sudden news and the hobby will be all the poorer for his loss. May he Rest in Peace.

 

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I've only just caught up with this as well, seeing a mention of Geoff on another thread. Geoff kindly invited Cogirep to Trainwest (back in 2010 I think) and I was very well looked after. The Bentley group even loaned me a very helpful operator for the weekend as I was there on my own. I always tried to get along to the subsequent Trainwests and the ones I did make it to were uniformly excellent and always worth the drive.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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Good grief, only just found out about Geoff's passing as his obituary was in May's modeller. Geoff was one of those friends met on RMweb, I only met him once personally at an excellent train West show where Abbotswood was being exhibited. I  will miss his incisive wit and deep knowledge of all things hydraulic. 

Condolences to his family and friends and Bentley MRC. We'll miss him here for sure too. 

Edited by Downendian
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  • 3 weeks later...

Only just starting to come to terms with this. I knew Geoff since 2006, and rented an office from him for ten years. I ran some small clubs/organisations (non rail-related) with him, two mothballed and two active in preparation during the lockdown. He was also a good friend and confidant, particularly over the last year as my mother passed away (also the second parent I lost) two weeks after his father. He was full of hope for the easing of the lockdown, which he never got to see of course.

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