It is with great sadness that we announce that Rob Taylor, long term Supporters’

Association member and former Groudle Glen Railway volunteer passed away in December after a short battle against cancer.

Rob spent a brief time volunteering on the railway during the Lord Ailsa period before getting heavily involved with the Supporters’ Association from the late 1970s. It was in the early 1980s that I first met Rob whilst he was the Merseyside Area Group Chairman and Sales Officer for the Supporters and many ‘adventures’ were had at the various Model Rail Shows and Steam Fairs/Galas that we attended. It was of course in 1982 that Groudle really got going and Rob and I began to spend many hours together on the IoM Steam Packet Boats, travelling to/from the Island in order to volunteer at Groudle.

The Boats were another great interest of Rob’s and working for the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board gave him the great opportunity to ‘skive-off’ and photograph them entering or leaving dock. Rob left the MDHB in 1983 and spent the majority of the rest of his career in the Insurance Business.

It was through Rob’s Dad Ron that many items of plant were donated to the Groudle Glen Railway and again further adventures were had getting these items to the Island via such out of the way places as Glasson Dock. Rob was also a Supporters’ Association Director and heavily involved in the Association projects of the 1990s/2000; namely cosmetically restoring No.6 Peveril and the M.78 and H.1 wagon projects.

Rob’s second marriage to Anne saw him move from his old haunt of the Wirral to Eccleston in Lancashire. The following years saw their family grow to four children, of whom he was very proud. Beside his cycling hobby, Rob also threw himself into the local amateur football scene and as some of his railway friends may be surprised to learn, the local amateur dramatics group. Here he played such literary classics as Ebenezer Scrooge, which to those of you who know Rob

was totally out of character; for you could not hope to meet a more generous and well meaning person. Rob will be deeply missed by all who knew him; rest in peace old friend.

Dave Booth