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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9 Genesis 1, verses 26-28. There was an Address and Prayers. The Music at the end of the Service was ‘Sailing’ (Gavin Sutherland 1972) performed by Rod Stewart. The photograph was taken on holiday in Porthleven, Cornwall in May 2008. A Life by Michael Spinks Harry Roy Spinks, Roy, to distinguish him from his father also a Harry, was born on 20 April 1924 inside the sub¬division of Tollington in the Registration District of lslington in the County of London, at least that is what his birth certificate states. He was the beloved elder son of Harry Claude and Beatrice Maud Spinks, brother of Peter. No two brothers could be more unalike. Roy attended the Stationers Company School and studied electronics and radio engineering at night school and became a highly successful electronic engineer. From his own CV he writes, “1943-1947 Royal Air Force, Leading Aircraftsman, Wireless Mechanic South East Asia Command” “1948-1949 Air Service Training, Hants. Student. War interrupted studies leading to Institute of Electrical Engineers and City + Guilds Radio and Telecommunications exam results. Maybe it is true that he never threw anything away. We have the exam results to prove it. He worked successively in London for The Gramophone Company at Hayes and then for Murphy Radio Electronic Division Engineer where he did work for Swedish Air Force radar. He subsequently signed the Official Secrets Act. I trust nobody will be done for revealing that the Swedish Air Force owes him a debt of gratitude. As a young man he played tennis. It was at a tennis club that he met the lady who soon became his wife, Pamela Mary Cambridge Clarke. They were married at the Parish Church of St. Aldhelm, Edmonton on March 15th 1952. They became the proud parents of Michael, Susan and Richard and the grandparents of Robert, Alex, Timothy, Fiona, Owen, Kathleen, Freya and Megan. Roy and Pam moved to 3 Gayton Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex late in 1952. He started working for EK Cole in Southend in January 1953 and wrote up a set of notes “Memories of EK Cole 1953-1957” A colleague from those days, Alan Moltino, regrets that he cannot attend today. Neither can his brother, Peter, living in Devon or his old “cousin” for want of better words, George Trowbridge. Roy left EK Cole in 1957 and worked as a Principal Development Engineer at the Plessey Company, Ilford. He acquired a Thames Minibus, 00 3609, and transported a group of SE Essex residents to Ilford every working day between 1957 and 1966. That minibus became almost a second home and was used as a camping base at Burnham on Crouch and for transporting the whole family for many summers on the annual overnight trip down to Praa Sands in Cornwall. Neither the MS nor the M4 existed then so it was more of an adventure in its own right than it would be now. Turning back to his career, it was whilst at Plessey that he was involved in the development of a family of UHF Airborne and Marine Transmitter Receivers for the RAF, RN and “friendly governments”. That led to an opportunity for the family to resettle in South Africa but it didn’t happen. It was whilst living at Southend that a passion for sailing was ignited. He built his own Lazy E, a twin manned sailing boat, somewhat bigger than an Enterprise, in the garage, which he had also built, in his back garden and sailed it for many years on the River Crouch at Burnham as a member of Burnham Sailing Club. For the last 10 years of his life he was a Member of Creeksea Sailing Club. The family moved to Muswell Hill, North London in 1966 when Roy joined the family business, EFG, as a Director. Relationships between the generations on the male side of the Spinks family have never been the easiest and he departed in 1969. He joined Marconi Space and Defence Systems at Stanmore as a Principal Quality Engineer on the Stingray project essentially being the Quality Controller to do with vendor and subcontractor plans. Perhaps his radio engineering days at Plessey and then at Marconi were professionally his most creative and satisfactory opportunities. He had joined the Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1947, became a Chartered Engineer, and received congratulations in 1997 for having been a member for 50 years. He was also a member of The Chartered Institute of Quality Assurance. After leaving Marconi he rejoined the family business, this time as Managing Director. He put up the new buildings at Liverpool Road, fought the good fight against British Rail when they damaged those buildings, fought each of the many (hundreds or thousands of them )parking tickets that our drivers accumulated, supported the Freight Transport industry inside London, ensured our banking was done correctly each day and defied any mugger to attempt a robbery on his daily visits to the Nat West Bank branch in Upper Street. Working Life in the wholesale industry was a bit more civilised when Roy was at EFG and a daily luncheon break was taken at either of the two Italian Tavernas at Highbury Corner. He did effectively retire but nobody is quite sure when because he retained keys to get in for many years and had an unhealthy attachment to the company’s fork lift trucks. Very little was more important than checking that they were properly on charge each weekend. What were Roy’s passions? Certainly for sailing which he maintained for 50 years. He was sailing independently last summer. Whilst he never learned to swim and was baled out of the River Crouch only last June having been outside his boat for 20 minutes and unable to get back in, he was never deterred. In his later years he went on many Jubilee Sailing Trust voyages in their two large three masted schooners to places like The Canary islands and Lisbon. He blacked out preparing for one such trip, ended up in hospital, forfeited the trip and never fully forgave them for not taking him back on board again. He was involved in The Worshipful Company of Loriners. Before him, his father was and now his grandson, Robert, is a member. He became and was very proud of being a Freeman of The City of London. He had his loyalties to a select group of clubs which he actively maintained and supported for many years, The Burma Star Association, The Royal Air Force Association, The Royal British Legion, the United Wards Club of the City of London, the City Livery Club and was Chairman of the Aero Section of The City Livery Club. He also supported the RNLI and the National Memorial Arboretum and other voluntary associations. Whilst Chairman of the Aero Section he accompanied John Jordan chairman for many years ofJordans the Flour Millers who supplied the Essex with its flour) who piloted his own biplane, by approval onto an RAF base. What was not approved was the manner of their departure which involved doing barrel rolls in the biplane down the length of the runway and which 38
got them both into trouble. Who were his closest friends. His children recall Donald Careswell, Lawrence Lawry, John Thorpe, Alan Moltino, Bill Bates, Keith and Jean Henderson, the adventurous John Jordan, John and Joan Summers, Frank O’Connor, his brother-in-law, John Clarke. No Engineer can be said to be short of convictions and Roy was not. John Black writes” i shall always remember him with great affection. He was of course a wonderful character and always admired for his great energy and enthusiasm” That just about sums up Roy. But he goes on to say” Many years ago he drove me in his ancient car to Llandudno, a terrifying and uplifting experience” with his hands firmly across his face in front of his eyes blocking off any view. That also sums up Roy. There was a well defined rhythm to his life. For many years the Easter weekend was devoted to charging up and down the highways and byways as he supported participants in the Devizes to Westminster Long Distance Canoe race. In particular he supported his son Richard, who still holds the record, only acquired after many attempts, for the military canoe class, the klepper class. 4 of his children / grandchildren have competed in that race, some with great distinction, some without. He and Pam went on the holidays latterly which they felt unable to do formerly and for a period of years Roy and Pam, Don and Betty and Frank and Ann enjoyed holidays together. Father and much-loved grandfather, e was proud of the achievements of his children and grandchildren with a special respect for those who had followed him into military service. A life lived fully to the very end. He died on 2~ January. He had enjoyed his cigarette on Christmas Day and a full Christmas Day Turkey lunch and on Boxing day he roused himself at 4am, drove to Muswell Hill to check on the timing of a medical appointment, then drove back to Enfield and pressed the doorbell to be let back in at 630am. Always himself, Roy Spinks. May he rest in peace. Michael Spink A cheque was received by the OSA through Gordon from Michael and Susan Spinks for the sum of £1,000 as a bequest. We thank the family very much for their generous gift to the OSA in memory of Harry Roy Spinks. T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 9 IAN RICHARD DUNFORD 1956-1963 It is very sad to report the death of Ian Dunford on 28th February 2015. Ian was a member of Meredith House and lived at 85 Boundary Road, Wood Green, N22 6A5. RAY BARKER I have been advised of the death of RAY BARKER of the year 1948. Any information would be welcome. Gordon. d.turner@sky.com Gentlemen I believe I can be of assistance. 50 years ago we bought a house in Enfield ad one of our neighbours was a RAY BARKER. He was married to Rita and had two daughters and was in the printing trade, working at one time for the Macmillan Press and I think he became a director. Anyhow we moved away to Brookmans Park in 1972 and we did not see them again for many years until we were at a Freemans Association Dinner. It transpired that although he was never interested in OSA he had been a pupil and I feel almost certain this must be the same man because he was approximately three years older than me. His connection with the Company was not through the School but through the printing trade. He was a very pleasant man who must have started life in the North or Central England. We saw them from time to time at Freemans functions and always enjoyed his company. Regards DT Mark Radstone CHANGES OF ADDRESS DAVID COX Apt 14, Highbeam House 581 High Road WOODFORD GREEN Essex 1G8 ORD ROGER ENGLEDOW 118 Hertswood Court Hillside Gardens BARNET Herts ENS 4AU 39
Page 1 and 2: No 81 /July 2015 The Old Stationer
Page 3 and 4: T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o
Page 11 and 12: OSA CHRISTMAS LUNCH 2015 at STATION
Page 19 and 20: Hi Geraint perring32@btinternet.com
Page 29 and 30: up from where he’d thrown them an
Page 37: T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o
Page 47: Old Stationers Fantasy Football - S

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