Page 2 - HGS Suburb News 134 - Spring 2018
P. 2
Derek Chandler school, university, and the work- Amenity Societies, and Probus, Beryl Druce
He kept his friends from
for retired professionals. As
1938-2018 place, and to those he added Secretary of the Benevolent 1931-2018
new ones near where he lived. Association of the Chartered
Derek saw John the Barber, just Institute of Patent Attorneys, he
round the corner, nearly every was, for 16 years, the main
day for 20 years. They loved to point of contact for anyone
chat, and Derek would take him asking for their help in the form
the Evening Standard if he was of a grant.
passing his shop in the evening. Derek liked to make sure
In his retirement he was people were comfortable, even
able to devote more time to finding seats for strangers on the
organisations promoting the bus. And the source of his good
general good. It included the manners and his courtesy was his
local ward panel for the Safer full engagement with everything
Neighbourhood Team, the and everyone around him.
London Forum of Civic and KATE HOBSON
Peter Neville, chairman of the BTG Pensioners’ Association,
pays tribute
In my lifetime, I have been won’t empty properly.”
privileged to meet a handful of “Oh, what model is it?”
individuals who were entirely “Whizzo 66.”
good and helpful, and of whom “The 66E or 66F?”
Derek was an only child, born house in Golders Green where
nobody had a bad word to say. “66E I think.”
to Dick and Peggy in Southgate, they stayed. Derek was one of them. “Ah well, take off the switchgear
on 7 December 1938. He and The house was in a bad way
More than that – he had the
his family were lucky to survive and they set to and put it to gift, when you spoke to him, of cover plate, you’ll see a row of Beryl was born in Guayaquil, had planted decades back, and
which give a wonderful display
Ecuador in 1931 and lived there,
the Blitz – in 1940 a blast blew rights – Derek concentrating on making you feel you were the only copper contacts. Go to the seventh and in Santiago, Chile, until of blooms in Spring. Spending
from the left, you’ll see it’s pitted.
the back of the house through the plumbing, heating, rewiring, person of interest to him. This Just burnish it with fine sandpaper 1945 when her family came time in her garden gave Beryl
the front. Fortunately, they were fixtures and fittings, while Sue
in the shelter in the garden, did the decorating – all of it, inside is not to suggest he was some and you should be all right.” back to the UK on the troop great happiness.
A well-known face on the
unworldly guru – he was intensely
ship SS Rangitiki.
although the infant Derek did and out. It was years before Derek practical and knowledgeable. Problem solved. Of course. The Heselton family eventually Suburb, Beryl often stopped to
He was the best Chairman
disappear for a time under a pile allowed a workman anywhere Thus, a typical ‘household the BTG Pensioners’ Association settled in West Hampstead in chat whilst out shopping on a
of sand. The family moved to near the house, let alone in it.
Oxford, and returned to the house The couple’s first daughter, problem’ conversation with him has ever had, and the best Head early 1946, and Beryl with sister Saturday; Dr Vadgama in Temple
Evelyn started at Henrietta
might go like this:
Fortune was a regular stopping
when it was rebuilt in 1947. Helen, arrived in 1973, followed “Derek, my washing machine that the BTG Patents Department Barnett School. place of hers.
An intelligent child, with ‘a by Janet in 1980. They remember never had.”
memory like a dustbin’, as his Derek as strict but fair. He had Roger Cullis, long standing colleague and friend, reflects on After school, she worked as She made many good
wife Sue describes it, he got a clear ideas on how they should what made Derek special a secretary in town and met friends at Abbeyfield when she
stayed there whilst work was
Neville Druce, whom she married
scholarship to the Mercers’ School behave and communicated them Derek, who died of systemic cancer, offered me use of his IoW flat in August 1954, with her sisters done on her house, and she felt
in Holborn. But his reports suggest robustly. There were the inevitable and I go back a long way together. when my son, Jamie, was just 2 Evelyn, Agnes and Mary as it a wrench to leave. However,
they may have been a little tensions, particularly when the
disappointed in him – describing girls became teenagers, and some In the 1960s, patent trainees were months old and we had the first bridesmaids. The couple, with Beryl remained a regular for
often recruited from corporate
of many lovely holidays there
their daughters Katrina and
lunch after an invitation from
him as ‘erratic’, ‘lazy’, ‘perfectly of their friends were just a bit R&D departments. and in the subsequent house Nicolette, moved to 68 Erskine Lynn and Lucy. She felt welcome
capable but not always prepared scared of Derek – something to We were originally engineers overlooking the Solent. Those Hill in 1960, where she lived for at Abbeyfield and considered it
to put the effort in’. What they do with his height, perhaps, and
at Standard Telephones & Cables
missed is that he already had clear the rather intimidating habit he Ltd. I moved to the London Patent holidays over eight summers were the rest of her life. a privilege to go there; she valued
Beryl supported Neville’s
the company and friendship.
a joy for us and I like to think gave
views about what was worth had of becoming more and more Department of International Derek some pleasure knowing decision to leave the BBC to start Family and work colleagues
doing and what not. If it was quiet the angrier he became. Telephone & Telegraph Corp. we enjoyed it so much.” a company, Better Sound, which will remember Beryl’s love of
worthwhile, he put the effort in It was a close family. They
My daughter Gemma wrote, led to the formation of Audio
and he did it well. One of the always ate together and often (STC’s parent company) in 1963 “I look back on my holiday work Engineering in 1965. Former Post-Its to communicate. When
the offices closed, yellow notes
and Derek a year or two later.
things Derek did particularly well, took off to the Isle of Wight for We shared an office and a at BTG with fondness – especially neighbour from Coleridge Walk, were on the walls from front to
was to make lifelong friends. a break. This meant it wasn’t double desk in Glasshouse Yard, the mind-expanding and wide- Molly Davies, lent them £100 back of the building – reminders
Derek progressed to take a practical to have animals in the
degree in electronic engineering house. But put Derek next to a overlooking the Barbican. Our ranging lunchtime discussions. to help start their company, to remember keys, put out milk
bottles, lock up.
entertainment was watching
He, in particular, was always
and Molly’s faith in the couple
at Kings College, Durham, what cat, and there was no separating the wrecking balls demolishing kind, patient and indulgent of was rewarded many times over. Known for her lovely smile
is now Newcastle University. them. And when Janet brought the bombsite in preparation for my questions. Employees were valued as if and sense of humour, she was
Derek now had to earn a living, one of her rabbits to stay for a
“I often remember with a
and he did so firstly as an while, Bob Bunny and Derek redevelopment. chuckle, an occasion on which they were family, and she kept always polite with a ‘Thank You’
We both developed similar
the company going as long as
to finish. Beryl felt that she had
electrical engineer, moving on bonded immediately – and sat filing systems, based on the Sam Radley decided to test possible after Neville’s death in had a happy life and done
to become a patent attorney, watching the TV together. mnemonic value of adjacent whether he actually read the 1999 with it closing in 2015 – everything she wanted to do.
retiring in 1995. He also liked to relax with
documents in a heap of papers.
He was a dedicated family music or a good book – preferably A paper read at the British ‘Powers’ that she prepared for Beryl was really proud of all She was always grateful, cheerful
him as he signed and passed
and laughing to the end of her
that had been achieved and of
man. It started with a group of non-fiction but occasionally a Association for the Advancement them back with barely a glance. her many loyal staff. life; loved, admired and respected
friends, of which Sue was a part. Terry Pratchett or other fantasy of Science later called this the She inserted the words “and Beryl loved cruising. She went by all who knew her.
They finally got together as a novel – a taste he picked up from
couple in March 1964 and his daughters. He had a wry Volcano filing system because verily, I do declare that I am a around the world with husband NICOLETTE DRUCE
small aquatic mammal named
Neville in the 90’s, stopping off
the heaps were apt to collapse
married the next August. They attitude to life, and a dry sense like a magma eruption. Bill,” in the middle of the text. to see Nicolette in Turkey. Ian Tutton adds a
moved around north London a of humour, and he certainly We moved on, Derek to He glanced at it and said “Nice There were other cruises to personal tribute
little before settling in the enjoyed a good joke.
Westinghouse, EMI and the then try Sam, I’m not going to sign all corners of the world, including I knew Beryl for the last few
National Research Development that!” We were all astonished, a trip to Antarctica to see her years of her life. To me she was
Hall and Randall Plumbers Corporation (NRDC, later BTG). but he shrugged and explained favourites – the penguins! She ‘nice’ being a word that my
the epitome of a ‘nice’ lady –
that it made the text the wrong
thought they were a bit smellier
His interpersonal skills are reflected
in the following comments by shape! I have to sign those than expected and although English teacher forbade us to
Plumbing and Heating Services • Property Maintenance some who worked with him. documents myself these days she was advised to keep away use when writing – find another
Malcolm Carter (former and always do so with a smile.” from them, the curious penguins word she would say …well, how
NRDC Records Manager) said Derek spent his life helping had other ideas. Beryl continued about kind, considerate, patient,
“Receiving his Christmas card others. A huge congregation of cruising until 2017 and in fact thoughtful, generous, polite,
with the note saying that palliative friends from all stages of his life had another one booked for the engaging, delightful, humble,
care was all that was left, made bade him farewell at a Humanist end of January 2018. straightforward, welcoming and
me aware of his plight but I am ceremony at Golders Green Beryl loved her garden. She so on… all words that could be
still shaken by the speed of his Crematorium on February 24. He spent hours de-heading her used to describe Beryl, she was
decline. Warm and generous leaves his wife, Sue, daughters favourite “rhodos”, which Neville indeed, a very nice lady indeed.
just about sums Derek up. Janet and Helen and three grand-
“On a very personal note about children who will all sorely
his generosity and kindness, he miss him.
Central Heating, Plumbing Repairs & Advisory Service
It is with regret that, due to lack of space, Suburb News has had
Look no further... your local plumbers to edit this issue’s obituaries. Editor
Emergency repairs, blocked pipes, drainage,
guttering, roofing, central heating and boilers.
12 months guarantee, 40 years experience P R HARTLEY
132 Manor Way, Borehamwood, Herts, WD6 1QX
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
Web: www.hallandrandallplumbers.com & REGISTERED AUDITOR
Email: office@hallandrandall.com
Tel: 020 8953 2094 • Fax: 020 8905 1602 Accounting & Taxation Services
Evenings: Garry 020 8207 3286 • Greg 020 8953 9828
Call 020 8731 9745 or 07850 634395
Email paul@prhartley.co.uk
www.prhartley.co.uk
11495
2 SUBURB NEWS IS PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO YOU BY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS