Page 50 - October 2019

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OBITUARIES

JOHN WARD igem.org.uk
GRADE: Fellow CEng facebook.com/IGEMpage
SECTION: London, Southern & Eastern twitter.com/IGEMGi
AGE: 93
JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTION OF
JAMES ‘BARRY’ WILKINSON
1938-2019 GAS ENGINEERS AND MANAGERS
MOST IGEM MEMBERS
will recognise Barry
Wilkinson’s name from his DIGEST
UK shale reserves
regular contributions to Gi Government sets aside
may be smaller than
previously estimated
funds to explore low
carbon hydrogen
on historical matters, as a OCTOBER 2019 Short-sellers eye
EU carbon market
Chairman of the Institution’s
History Panel and as the
long-running Editor of HANDLE
The Historic Gas Times. WITH
FOUNDED 1863
He entered the industry in CARE ROYAL CHARTER 1929
the mid-1950s among those
chosen to become students
on a gas engineering
sandwich course at Salford, promoted by the Gas Council, IGE Cover.indd 1 19/09/2019 15:21
and the area boards. PATRON PRODUCED AND DESIGNED
After working full-time, it was a challenge to return to Her Majesty The Queen BY SYON MEDIA
full-time education and not all the students lasted the full PRESIDENT + 44 (0) 203 900 0145
E: gi@syonmedia.com
three years. Barry later remarked how gas works colleagues Antony Green www.syonmedia.com
sometimes viewed his six-monthly absences from ‘real work’ CEng FIGEM CWEM
as a winter holiday. FCIWEM MIW ©
Having qualified, Barry rejoined Negas on the production PRESIDENT ELECT
side at Leeds, later moving into industrial marketing and Duncan Wong
finally becoming Safety Officer. CEng MIGEM
With Ken Golisti and other Negas colleagues, Barry gathered Published by IGEM
much gas historical information on the North East area and VICE-PRESIDENT T: +44(0)1509 678 159
assembled the museum and archive at Tingley. Several papers Ben Clarke E: general@igem.org.uk
CEng MIGEM IET
were delivered to the Junior and District Sections. IGEM House,
Barry also had a wide knowledge of antiques, from furniture HONORARY SECRETARY 26 & 28 High Street, Kegworth
to brass figures, some of which featured a ceramic jet from Gordon Davies Derby
which a small gas flame would emerge to light one’s cigar. CEng FIGEM DE74 2DA.
When The Daily Telegraph mentioned an early bedside CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Registered Charity No. 214011
tea maker, Barry responded with its wider historical Neil Atkinson
background and patent details. The paper printed all of it, CEng FIChemE HonFSE ISSN 1755-5477
including a fine photograph.
Not long after Barry joined the Institution’s History Panel, EDITORIAL & SUBSCRIPTION It is believed that the
ENQUIRIES:
statements made in this
then chaired by Don Wilson, it was decided the panel would Sharon Baker-Hallam publication are based
publish a quarterly newsletter, which emerged as The Historic BA Hons AIGEM on accurate and reliable
Gas Times (HGT). T: +44(0)1509 678 186 information. The views
Barry volunteered to be Editor and there followed a E: sharon@igem.org.uk expressed are not necessarily
remarkable run of 90 issues over a period of more than 20 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES those of the publisher. No
liability can be accepted for
years. He was assisted by his daughter Sally, who took care of Ian James any error or omission.
page design, and so on. T: +44(0)20 3900 0146
HGT did much to keep alive interest in gas history and to E: gi@syonmedia.com
raise funds for related causes, thanks to Barry’s efforts. SUBSCRIPTION RATES
He resigned as Chair of the Panel for the History of the Gas UK: £129.99 per annum
Industry (now known as the History Panel) in early 2017 and Overseas: £169.99 ($266)
died in August 2019. per annum
Fellow gas historian John Horne paid tribute to his friend:
“He made a great contribution to the study of gas history, we
enjoyed his company, and we shall miss him greatly.”

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