Nigel Bray, RIP

[whole diary]

[grahame]

"Nigel Bray, secretary of Railfuture Severnside and author of a number of books about railways in this part of the country, sadly passed away on December 19th.  Uniquely knowledgeable, he was a very committed and hard working campaigner. He will be much missed and very hard to replace." (I have just heard)

Sad news, indeed. I will put a few more words together. Nigel was a stalwart of the Railfuture branch - there and aactive as secretary for as long as I can remember.  He came along to our public meeting in Trowbridge on 20th October, and stayed overnight with Lisa and myself before heading back to his home in Gloucester the following day. The hours he put in were second to none, his knowledge was encyclopedic, and he was always so positive.  I spoke with hm just a few weeks back, as he stood down from his Railfuture role - he hoped to make something of a comeback, but in our hearts and think we knew it was unlikley.  He enriched the rail campaign world.

Nigel takes minutes / notes at our "Waterloo" campaign at Trowbridge on 20th October


From Nigel's pen:


A fitting final view - Nigel boards his train home at Kemble after a Railfuture meeting on 27th October


Rest in Peace, Nigel - we are the poorer without you.

[ChrisB]

Graham, do you know whether his funeral has yet been held? This is just too sad….

[grahame]

Graham, do you know whether his funeral has yet been held? This is just too sad….

I don't know, Chris - I'm keeping an eye out for news.

[ChrisB]

I have asked someone who should know. Thanks

[ChrisB]

I have asked someone who should know. Thanks

They’ve not yet heard either, so I suspect yet to happen.

[grahame]

I have asked someone who should know. Thanks

They’ve not yet heard either, so I suspect yet to happen.

The funeral will be webcast in the morning of 10th January from Gloucester. "It is hoped to hold a celebration of Nigel's life at some time in the future when the Covid restrictions end."  Forum member and guests who knew Nigel are welcome to attend - please ask and I can forward "venue" details.

[ChrisB]

Asking….email address in my profile :-)

[ChrisB]

Asking….email address in my profile :-)

I have them thanks….probabky the same ones you have as I see the email I have has you as a carbon copy….

[grahame]

Some more pictures - from my previous laptop / archive.  Nigel was so much a part of the fabric in the Railfuture branch that he was rarely the person in front of the camera ... but here are a few (and I'll re-share those above) clipped from the general scene

Dilton Marsh, April 2019




Norton Fitzwarren, August 2019






Stonehouse, November 2019


Trowbridge, October 2021


Kemble, October 2021

[Witham Bobby]

It's always sad to read of a loss.  It seems we've lost a very passionate and knowledgeable stalwart of railways and rail travel.

I'm wondering if anyone can say whether this would be the same Nigel Bray who was 45+ years ago (eeek) a booking clerk at Barnstaple Jcn station?  He was a keen supporter and volunteer in the early days of the West Somerset Railway.  The photos in this thread show someone who's appearance looks familiar.  But it was all a long time ago.  I do remember an impressive and encyclopedic knowledge of the railway timetable and routeings

[AMLAG]

Yes.
Nigel was a clerk in Barnstaple Jn Travel and Booking offices, before promotion to Weston - S- Mare Travel Office in about 1979. He was also an active member of the North Devon Rail Users Group.

[Witham Bobby]

I'm very sorry to learn of Nigel's passing. May he rest in peace.

Another of the early-years WSR supporters has departed.  I know his passing will mean a lot more to many who were closer and who knew him more recently than I.  My memory is of him dealing with a lengthy queue at the booking window at Minehead, and being very patient with someone who was asking for a ticket to Stavanger

[grahame]

My memory is of him dealing with a lengthy queue at the booking window at Minehead, and being very patient with someone who was asking for a ticket to Stavanger

Indeed he was patient ... in dealing with us maverick Railfuture members, the public and the railway authorities, he had to be.

Did that turn out to be to Stogumber?

[Witham Bobby]

Indeed he was patient ... in dealing with us maverick Railfuture members, the public and the railway authorities, he had to be.

Did that turn out to be to Stogumber?

Yes, it did.  In 1978, before the Level Crossings at Leigh Wood and Roebuck Gate were converted and operational, we got permission from HMRI^▸ (Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate) to extend operations beyond Minehead - Williton, to Stogumber.  I think we ran DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) trains to/from Stogumber on three days a week.  It meant we had to have Williton 'box open, and we simply didn't have enough people to do that on an every day basis.

I am not surprised that Nigel's patience found a useful application in bigger things

[grahame]

Good to stand beside John, Horace, Wendy and David yesterday in Gloucester to commemorate the life of Nigel, who passed away last month. Nigel's friend Rachel spoke a moving tribute to him, speaking of the times they spent together out and about and sharing a sense of humour. And the celebrant from the church read us background prepared with great care by his other friend Derek.   Thoughfully, copies of that text were printed for all to take with them and share.   Here, in memoriam and  for historic reference, is that text

Nigel Sidney Matthew Bray

8th December 1952 — 19th December 2021

Nigel was born in Reading and was the oldest child of Ronald and Anna Bray. Nigel grew up in the Tilehurst area of Reading and was joined by his brother, Leonard (Len) who was born in 1958. Nigel attended the local Primary School at Norcot where his father was a teacher. Nigel passed the 11 plus and was awarded a place at the prestigious Reading Grammar School. He was "fast tracked" and took his A levels early as was the custom for boys who had the ability to apply for an Oxbridge place. Nigel opted to study at York University where he achieved a BA^» (British Airways - about) (Hons) in History with Education. Although he initially expected to follow a career in teaching, this did not work out and, instead, Nigel opted for a career on the Western Region of British Rail.

Nigel's choice of career came as no surprise to those who knew him. There were clearly railways in the blood as his grandfather had been a stationmaster and his ancestors, in turn, had also worked for the Great Western Railway. As a teenager, Nigel was traumatized by the savage cuts to the British rail network and probably knew more detail about the lines concerned than Dr. Beeching himself. At University, Nigel started his crusade to improve the rail network and joined Transport 2000. This gained him more like- minded friends and Nigel was to go through his whole life making new long-lasting friendships. Nigel was totally committed to public transport and so never learnt to drive.

Nigel's rail career started in Barnstaple, then on to Weston-Super-Mare, Paddington, Swindon and he moved to Gloucester just over thirty years ago, initially into a house in Gurney Avenue, Tuffley, before moving to James Way, Hucclecote in 2014. Meanwhile, Nigel was naturally concerned that his rail career might end with privatisation but his new employers, Wales and West, found him a new job for which his knowledge made him eminently suited: checking delays to trains to ensure that penalties were applied to the organization which had caused the delay, thereby reducing the fines applied to his employer. Nigel's work had, by this time, been moved to Cardiff but he continued to live in Gloucester. Further re-organisations followed and Nigel took early retirement in 2007.

For the last few years of his working life, Nigel worked part time for Waitrose in Cheltenham where he learnt a whole new range of work skills, ultimately learning the art of barista, before retiring in 2012. The choice of employer was natural to Nigel as his mother had worked for the John Lewis Partnership (Heelas) in Reading and Nigel used to accompany his mother (and brother) on holidays to the John Lewis holiday home on Brownsea Island after his father died in 2004. Nigel had always been close to his brother, Len, and they had many holidays together both in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) and abroad, Len also having a great interest in transport. After their mother died in 2009, their bond became stronger but in 2017, Nigel was shocked to receive a telephone call to tell him that Len had been found dead in his flat in Reading. This left Nigel feeling very lonely and he was very fortunate to meet Rachel, who not only helped him prepare Len's flat for sale, but also gave him much needed companionship. Together, they were able to follow shared interests such as walks, travel and the theatre and created many happy memories together.

In retirement, Nigel was able to expand the interests which motivated him most. He was a skilled writer and, although politicians who received missives from Nigel may not have appreciated his skills, his series of definitive histories of rail lines in the South West will long continue to be appreciated by those who read them and also attended his lectures. Nigel continued his life-long passion for the promotion of railways becoming Secretary of the Severnside Branch of Railfuture. On a smaller scale, he developed his model railway layout, often with practical help from his friends in local model railway groups and repaid this by taking on many administrative tasks for the Gloucester Model Railway Club. Nigel's commitment to the railway preservation community continued and, as late as October 2021, he could be found "meeting and greeting" visitors on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.

Nigel had undergone surgery on a malignant melanoma in the Spring of 2020 but after initial optimism, the cancer gradually spread and despite a great deal of assistance and care from staff of the NHS, in November he was admitted to Cheltenham General Hospital. Nigel moved to Brockworth House on 15th December and sadly died on the Sunday with Rachel by his side. The staff at the Care Home, summed up Nigel perfectly: He was a true gentleman.

A moving ceremony, fond memories of a true gentleman.