Nobby Clarke

[Long Line]

It is with sadness that I must report that Howard Clarke died yesterday.

 

'Nobby'... as known by many was amongst many things; a fireman in the latter days of BR; a prolific modeller and author; former long time member of Macclesfield Model Railway Group and a regular for many years at exhibitions both with his own  layouts and on the '7mm Narrow gauge Association stand. He worked tirelessly for many charitable organisations and was a character to be reckoned with.

 

He had suffered with illness for a long time but remained determined to keep modelling... demonstrating and working right up to the end on a new O Gauge layout..

 

Many will consider themselves fortunate to have known him..

 

I have know doubt he will now be arguing upstairs, as too when they are starting a new project..

 

'give em hell fella'... you will be missed.

[ELTEL]

Really sad news to hear that Nobby has passed away, I have known Nobby (sorry Howard) for many years, having first met him at the Manchester exhibition show probably in the late seventies or early eighties.

 

A true railway modeller, and I will sadly miss him as we all will at Stafford.

 

Also over the last few years I have been his companion at the O Gauge exhibition at Telford manning the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association stand.

[M Graff]

So sad to hear the news.

I had some very interesting conversations with Nobby on Facebook.

Requiescat in pace.

[Dava]

Howard helped me get started in my teenage years at the MMRG, he'd always be ready to give his advice & help. And to share stories from driving & firing steam locos around the North Staffs & CLC lines

 

The last time I spoke with him at Telford this year, he was battling on despite many ailments.

 

Fondly remembered.

 

Dava

[orford]

Although not entirely surprised, as Nobby had been unwell and clearly weakening for many months, I was nevertheless devastated by this news when I received a phone call yesterday.

 

He and I go back some 35 years and indeed, we corresponded by e-mail as recently as last Sunday, just four days before his passing. As always, he was haranguing me to help with his latest writing project.

 

I have always counted Nobby as a very dear friend and am probably responsible for his long interest in Narrow Gauge modelling and (as he pointed out on many occasions), certainly responsible for his joining The 7mm Narrow Gauge Association back in (I think it was) 1981 - the result of a leisurely walk together from St Pancras station to Keen House, home to The Model Railway Club, where one of the early Association AGM's was being held.

 

Nobby from that day on became one of THE stalwarts of The 7mm Narrow Gauge Association and although we did not always see eye-to-eye on modelling matters - especially over his fondness for producing 'yellow diesels' in O-16.5 scale, we became firm friends, a friendship which endured all the way to the present time.

 

Nobby subsequently served the 7mm NGA in almost every committee post over the ensuing years, including a lengthy spell as Chairman, during which time the Association prospered greatly. He always had an opinion and was never afraid to express it....but whatever it was it was invariably delivered with a roguish grin. 

 

What may not be so well known is that Nobby and his wife in more recent times undertook several trips to Africa, where he worked as a volunteer and although I am sketchy on the details, I believe it was with underprivileged children.  This continued until very recently.

 

There is one wonderful 'Nobby' story which perhaps should now be shared....

 

....In the early years of The 7mmNGA he was in the habit of entering many models into the various Association competitions - as indeed he continued to do right up to the present day (winning many, I might add).

 

However in those early days he had an unusual 'gimmick', which was a small grey plastic Hippopotamus, possibly from the Britain's range, which he was in the habit of displaying alongside his competition entries everywhere he went - a sort of mascot - and he was of course ragged mercilessly by many of us. It wa, typically Nobby - something to raise a chuckle and take away some of the seriousness which can pervade such events. 

 

After a number of years, the then Chairman of the Association, Mike Brown and I 'kidnapped' the hippo when Nobby's back was turned at one of our Conventions.  He of course knew (or at least strongly suspected) who had taken it, and all we heard from him for the remainder of the day was a plaintive and repetitive "...Where's me Ippo...? "

 

Well, we posted that plastic hippo off  to an overseas member of the Association, who in turn posted it to another friend in another country and so on and so on - and as it continued on it's lengthy world tour of several weeks or months, Nobby received a 'wish you were here' type holiday postcard from 'Ippo'. from each destination.  Memory dims with time but I seem to recall it eventually ended up in Australia.

 

 Finally we got the ting back, painted it brown to give it a tan - and added a set of painted-on sunglasses to it.......before ultimately giving it back to its rightful owner ...who took it all in his usual good heart. That was Nobby.

 

He will be very sorely missed, not only in Biddulph, near Stoke-on-Trent where he lived  - and not only at the Macclesfield Model Railway Club, of which he was also a long-time stalwart - but by many, many people around the world.

 

My sincere condolences go to his wife Christine.

 

Nobby's signature models were undoubtedly his dreaded 'yellow diesels', of which he produced many over the years. I suspect he must have once purchased a bulk quantity of bright yellow paint, possibly from Del Boy.............

 

............So if you happen to look up one night and you see a sinister yellow glow in the sky, don't worry - it will just be Nobby getting his airbrush out once  again.............

 

 

 

Don Mason - Original 'founder' of The 7mm Narrow Gauge Association.

 

 

 

 

 

[oldexpat]

Dear Don,and everybody else who wrote.

Many thanks for this,

best wishes,

James Corsi

[Barry O]

I first met Nobby at a Crosby show many, many years ago. My father had built an On16.5 layout and Nobby made sure that I joined the association forthwith (seem to remember he "bribed" me with some apple sponge and custard!) Since then I have regularly bumped into him and will miss my genteel sparring matches with him...Hopefully the Norberts will continue at the AGM..

[Long Line]

The date and location of Nobby's funeral in the New Year are now known if persons wishing to attend PM me,

 

Mark

[paul2001]

One of the nicest and funniest guys i've had the good fortune to share a few drinks with, at Lytham show.

[charliepetty]

Nobby was as blunt as me, once gave me a ball!!!ing at the Macclesfield show years ago! Good Guy. See you one day, Charlie P

[farrow]

From John Farrow I must be one of the oldest to remember Nobby Clarke,we were both founder members of the Macclesfield club in 1957 both of us were at school at the time Nobby 3 yrs older than me.I last met him in September at Telford and was sad to see his failing health as we sat and had a chat about the old days.Not only a life long modeller but one of lifes great characters.I have many fond memories of 4 of us often going on a day trip to portmadoc in a mini and stopping for giant breakfasts en route.Nobby and I also used to go to the London show at Central Hall on the overnight parcels train from Macclesfield arriving in London at dawn and walking across London having breakfast when Nobby would say whatever you've got double it for me.G od bless you NOBBY.

[ozzyo]

I'm a bit late in replying to this but I first met Nobby at one of the Barrow shows a good number of year back and just liked the guy. If we were at a show and we seen each other we always had time for a fag and chat. I did know that he was ill, he always complained about all the tables that he had to bl00dy well take. I'm sorry to say that I can't remember the last time that I saw him as was always at the shows that I went to.

A short story about one year when he was at the Barrow show. We had gone up to the Prince of Wales at Foxfield (a good brew pub) for the Sat night do, some of us were in one of the back rooms playing Jenger, the pile was quit high and it was my turn I'd just got a piece from low in the pile and formed a + to help support the pile and placed it on top hands free, then someone wants to go to the bar and knocks the table and crash.

For year Nobby always said to me that I had won that game.

 

A very nice man that I will miss for a long long time.

Happy modelling in that big club in the sky. 

 

Paul H.

 

PS. when I join you we'll have to go outside for a fag or two.   

[Dava]

Its a timely reminder that just over a year on, he left a big hole in the world for lots of people.

 

Dava

[BigAndy]

There are a few people in this world, that when they pass, they leave a bl**dy great hole. Nobby was one of those people.

 

I knew Nobby all my life, and when I was a lad, he was always 'Uncle Nobby' whenever he came around to see my Dad and they would dissapear into the Railway room. At bedtime, my Mum would allow me to pop in for five minutes to see what they were up to and it would always take me about 3 of those minutes to locate them through the fog of Woodbine smoke that hung in the air like a good London smog. You could cut that Woodbine smoke with a knife.

 

I think everyone has a good 'Nobby' story and quite rightly so, the man was a legend. Even now, after 12 months since his passing, whenever I am at an exhibition I still automatically look over to the 7mm Narrow Gauge demo stand - old habbits die hard.

 

I have lots of memories of Nobby. Always blunt, always friendly, always ready with some risque or controversial comment that would sometimes make you want to drop through a hole in the ground - but I have one memory that was jolted by Mr Farrow's memoirs of Nobby's appetite.

 

Back in the day, when the Macclesfield show was held in the Drill Hall, the exhibitors were treated to their lunches at Dave Marshall's chippy - a thrown pie distance away, just round the corner from the hall.

I can remember sitting there one day with my Dad, scoffing our chips, when in rolls Nobby, large as life, blocking out the Sunlight and complete with Pork chop sideburns.

 

He bowled straight passed Dave Marshall slaving away at his friar and plonked himself down at our table.

 

Dear old Dave turned towards us and with trembling voice, shouted " WHAT YER 'AVIN NOBBY? "

 

Dave's fears were well founded as Nobby turned and bellowed back " LARGE FISH AND CHIPS TWICE - AND IF YOU SEE ME PLATE EMPTY OF FISH, KEEP 'EM COMIN " Dave just grinned.....he knew Nobby as well as anyone.

 

This was Nobby all over - loved the banter and gave as good as he got. Miss you mate - hope you and my Dad aren't squabbling too much up there about what nationality or gauge to model in next.

 

cheers

 

Andy

[ELTEL]

Nice one Andy

 

Terry