ax was born in the original Jane Crookall Maternity Home in Douglas and was brought up on Lhergy Dhoo Farm, near Peel where he developed a love for the outdoor life and an interest in things mechanical.  Just before the war the family moved to Douglas and during the war years Max attended King Williams College. After school, he did his national service in the R.A.F. Military Transport Division where he was trained to drive and maintain heavy goods vehicles. When he came out of the forces, his family had moved to Derbyhaven and Max became a runway controller at Ronaldsway Airport.

He often used to cycle to work via the short cut by the college and one day he spied Barbara working at the college as a young cook. Their friendship blossomed and they were married on 28th March 1957. They moved to Ramsey in the same year where Max joined his father in law in the market garden business.  In the late fifties, Max and Barbara moved to Chelmsford, Essex (with their first child Jane) where he worked as a long distance lorry driver. Their second child Sandra was born there in 1961. Max and his family moved back to the Island around 1964 so that Max could join his father’s growing stock-broking business.

However, office life was not for him! He had always had a special interest in steam trains and through his association with the Isle of Man Railway Company he met Lord Ailsa in 1967 who had come to the Island to take on the operations of the railway. Max joined the Supporters’ Association and in 1967 and 1968 was a volunteer on the Railway. During the winter of 1968, Lord Ailsa approached Max and offered him the post of General Manager which he gladly accepted and started in this position in the winter of 1968/1969! During this period, Max, Barbara and his family opened a guesthouse in Broadway and many of the volunteers who came over to assist on the Railway very much enjoyed the Crookall’s hospitality!  Lord Ailsa decided to reduce the operations to just to the Port Erin Line in 1969 - passenger trains ceased to run on the Peel and Ramsey lines at the end of September 1968.

With Max’s great enthusiasm (supported by a team of “enthusiasts”!) and under his guidance the Port Erin line saw passenger numbers grow substantially between 1969 and 1971 often in the summer season trains would leave Douglas with six full coaches. To attract passengers, station staff were dressed in “Victorian” costumes and Max would, on occasions, dress up as well! Despite this success, Lord Ailsa decided to relinquish his lease at the end of 1971 and the Isle of Man Railway Company took over the running of the line again in 1972. However, Max and Barbara continued to run their guesthouse in Douglas for the next few years.

Then Barbara’s father suddenly died and it fell to Max to carry on the family business which he thoroughly enjoyed. He built a new farm house at Westhill (near Ramsey) and gradually his business turned to road transport to and from England. Unfortunately, he suffered a heart attack when he was sixty five and he and Barbara moved to Barrule Park in Ramsey. He kept himself busy with his magnificent model railway and travelling with friends.

He was a member of Ramsey Probus Club and a founder member of the Manx Diabetic Society as well doing charity work for the Hospice. He always said how lucky he was to have his two daughters with their families living nearby. He nursed Barbara during her illness until she died in 2010. He coped with things on his own until a nasty fall last Christmas time after which he moved to the Brookfield Nursing Home in Ramsey where he died on Tuesday 3rd June - Rest in Peace, Max.

Roger Webster