Ken Gibbons - Hull MRS

[beast66606]

Heard the sad news this morning that Ken Gibbons has passed away.

 

Ken (and his brother) were in the Merseyside MRS with me back in the 1970s / 1980s, he moved to Hull for work and settled into his model making on t'other side of the Pennines.

I personally haven't seen him for a good while but friends saw him recently (Hornby show) and said he looked well.

 

Ken was one of the good guys

 

Condolences to Ken's family and friends.

Edited November 3, 2023 by beast66606

[newbryford]

Sad news.

As you say, Ken was a good guy.

 

Condolences to his family and RIP Ken

[31A]

Oh no, such sad news!  I'd got to know Ken well through being involved with the York Show; what a lovely guy he was.  I was just chatting with him a few weeks ago at the Great Electric Train Show in Milton Keynes; it seems difficult to believe.....

 

RIP indeed an sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[Clive Mortimore]

That is a shock, I had a good natter with Ken just over two weeks ago at the Caistor exhibition. Rest in peace my friend.

[drjcontroller]

Very sad news indeed, such a nice chap and very helpful to me over the years.

 

Douglas

[Grampus]

Such sad news. I, too, enjoyed chatting with Ken only 2 weeks ago at Caistor show, where he was once again exhibiting  'Lapford'. I won't claim to have known Ken but having chatted to him on numerous occasions at shows various over the years, I always enjoyed those conversations: in addition to being a talented modeller he was friendly, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and encouraging. Definitely one of the 'gentlemen' of our hobby. I'm glad I was able to share with him at Caistor just how much his modelling, especially 'Lapford', had inspired and encouraged me in my own meagre efforts.

 

Rest in peace.

 

Paul

[MartinWales]

I was absolutely gutted when i found out earlier. A talented modeller, Ken was one of the nicest people it has been my pleasure to know.

 

RIP my friend

[Middlesea John]

Ken was at the Hull MRS clubroom on Monday doing some last minute preparations for our annual show on11 and 12 November.  He seemed fine though we only said hello as he walked past our layout, Ladycross.  To say it's a shock to the society is a massive understatement.  As has already been noted, Ken was a very talented modeller who was always happy to share his knowledge and experience but was also a friend to so many.  He will be sorely missed not only in Hull but throughout the modelling world .  .

[25081]

Thank you for all the kind comments re the premature passing of my beloved brother Ken - myself and his friend Brian had been with him only the day before in York dismantling the layout of another one of his friends who'd recently passed away - would never have thought the next day Ken would be gone - everyone is in deep shock - I always looked up to him and was impressed that my brother was a Grammar school twit  - he was an old boy of Wirral Grammar - in my earlier years he was always putting me correct on my pronunciation of names on loco's especially Western's ! such a sad loss - R.I.P  Ken , I'm absolutely devastated 

Graham

[Captain Kernow]

So very sorry to hear of your loss, Graham.

 

I didn't know Ken well, but had seen him at a few shows, a few years ago. Back in 2006, Simon Castens ('Not Jeremy') and I met up with a few of the Hull lads in a pub near the Humber. We'd been corresponding on the then quite new RMWeb and Ken was one of those who came along.

 

My deepest condolences to you and your family.

 

 

Tim Maddocks

 

[Not Jeremy]

Yes, me too Graham, unbelievable that such a big character can be suddenly gone and so early too. The sense of loss for you as his brother, his family and close friends must be huge.

 

It was such horrible news to hear, as Tim says we travelled up to Barton on Humber together back in 2006 to meet the Hull lads, and Ken was a memorable part of the warm welcome we received.

 

I am so sorry for your loss, he was a very big character and much loved, and a very good and generous modeller too.

 

Simon

Edited November 4, 2023 by Not Jeremy

[RANGERS]

Reading this almost with disbelief, I’d been talking to Ken at Caistor just a fortnight ago and having mentioned how pleased I was that Lapford Rd was still around, it turned into a long discussion about its future.

 

Ken was one of life’s really nice guys, always had time to chat and always had some words of wisdom to offer. I’ll miss his company and his models immensely, shows will be the poorer for me without him, our thoughts are with family and friends.

 

RIP Ken, we’ll miss you.

 

[doctor quinn]

Very sad news, it was always great to chat to Ken.

[Hugh Meyer]

Very sad news indeed and deepest sympathy to his family. A modeller, friend and true gentleman whom I had the pleasure of knowing over a couple of decades during which over many Saturdays and interesting chats he built a European layout for me.

Hugh Meyer

[25081]

Made a trip to Ribblehead today to bury a small piece of layout on Batty Moor where the shanty town once stood in memory of Ken - was actually the last piece of  modelling that Ken and I both had hold of at the same time - Ken held while I dismantled - buried it facing the viaduct - someone will probably trip over it one day and say which idiot stuck that there - think the Settle to Carlisle was Ken's favourite line - he seemed to like it mainly between Settle to Kirkby Stephen - it was yet another of his one day I'll get around to doing schemes that sadly will now never happen - just hope you are up in Heaven Ken with all the other late modelling greats, you deserve to be !

Graham

[Jamie]

Terrible news, and my heart goes out to you and the family Graham.

 

Only crossed paths fairly infrequently over the years due to distance, but his generosity (at a time when he didn't know me from Adam) and the inspiration of his modelling has had a huge influence on me.  It was always an absolute highlight of an exhibition to catch up with Ken, hear the news and inevitably various entertaining tales.  

 

Rest in peace big yin, and get the new workbench set up wherever you are. 

[25081]

On 04/11/2023 at 20:21, RANGERS said:

Reading this almost with disbelief, I’d been talking to Ken at Caistor just a fortnight ago and having mentioned how pleased I was that Lapford Rd was still around, it turned into a long discussion about its future.

 

Ken was one of life’s really nice guys, always had time to chat and always had some words of wisdom to offer. I’ll miss his company and his models immensely, shows will be the poorer for me without him, our thoughts are with family and friends.

 

RIP Ken, we’ll miss you.

 

Hello Andy - thank you so much for the email and the kind comments re my brother Ken's passing - Ken would stop and engage in conversation with anyone be it at model railway exhibitions ,car shows,on public transport,at the shops,basically anywhere - if you went to swapmeets with him you had to leave him to it at times as he'd always meet someone he knew and would be talking to them for ages about layouts,show bookings,the outcome of committee meetings,other modellers dilemna's,etc,etc - meanwhile all the bargains were being snapped up! I know after Caistor show he told me he had given Lapford Road away as he wanted to concentrate on other projects - I hope its in good hands - the last few years he had got interested in Benelux stuff - I myself had been there a few times  and told Ken to come along as he would really enjoy it - he did and enjoyed it so much that he started modelling it ! He also had a great sense of humour - had many good laughs with him over the years and we had many in jokes between ourselves that we often quoted to each other time after time . God Bless Ken

Graham 

[charliepetty]

I was given this news at Spalding last Saturday, having read all the above compliments to a very long time mate, I can only repeat what has been said.

 

We briefly chatted a couple of weeks ago and hearing this has left me saddened and somewhat speechless.

 

What I liked about Ken was he would 'Tell You Off, if wrong' and later on act as though it never happened.

A nice guy, a good guy and I hope I could be called 'His mate'  Ken might have used 'Different' words though.

 

A bit lost for words really.      Till we meet again.  Love Charlie

Edited November 7, 2023 by charliepetty

[John of York61]

Staggered to hear the news from Brian Sunman when I was at Monk Bar Model Shop last Friday. I've had a few days to process this staggering news. 62 is too young to be taken away like this. Ken was a towering presence at York for so many years. At our return to the calendar at Easter 2023 Ken was so full of enjoyment that we were back, full of smiles as he helped the marking out and setting up Wepre Park with Brian at short notice when a layout dropped out. I can only echo what Charlie Petty has said:

A nice guy, a good guy and I hope I could be called 'His mate' 

 

[bcnPete]

Really sad to hear this - so many inspirational layouts over the years and was lucky enough to meet him and chat with him at the Stafford show 2019, where we were both exhibiting.

 

My condolences to Ken’s family. RIP Ken.

[John of York61]

With my previous post in mind, Ken was handling all the Society stands at York next Easter; he copied me into his emails so if any of the Society representatives see this- I will be in touch with you in the next few weeks to finalise details. 

[25081]

If anyone would like to attend Ken's funeral service it is at 2.40pm on Tuesday 28th November at Scunthorpe crematorium - in anyone wishes to send some flowers please can you send them to Hutesons funeral directors,Holydyke funeral parlour,Barton upon Humber,North Lincs

Thanks Graham

[25081]

On 03/11/2023 at 11:29, beast66606 said:

Heard the sad news this morning that Ken Gibbons has passed away.

 

Ken (and his brother) were in the Merseyside MRS with me back in the 1970s / 1980s, he moved to Hull for work and settled into his model making on t'other side of the Pennines.

I personally haven't seen him for a good while but friends saw him recently (Hornby show) and said he looked well.

 

Ken was one of the good guys

 

Condolences to Ken's family and friends.

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by 25081

[25081]

Many thanks to all who attended Ken's funeral earlier today in Scunthorpe - it could never be a wonderful day , bereavement never is but seeing so many of his good mates turn out to see him on his way was truly humbling and it made an awful day so much more bearable- also many thanks to Ian for his lovely spoken words and thoughts about Ken , it takes some bottle to stand up and do that - It just shows someone who was a true friend -  as he said to me afterwards Ken's passing has just left such a massive void for so many -  his enthusiasm both in his own projects and what he enthused in others was truly electrifying - I should just consider myself so lucky to have had such a great brother for 58 years of my life 

Thanks once again to everyone

Graham 

[rob D2]

Sorry for your loss.

I didn’t know Ken , only through his model output in various publications , but that was inspiring in itself . If I saw his name on anything I knew it was worth a look .

 

RIP