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March 2024.
The Club is very sad to report the death of our Honorary Chairman , Robert Bamford on 23rd February 2024, aged 91. He had been Ill for some time and passed away peacefully with his daughter Jennette at his side.
In his mid-life he was a founder member of this club and a Classic owner.
In recent years Robert (or Rob or Bob) is probably best remembered by new’ish 109E owners as host of the “Great Leighs” events which he organised on his family’s nursery land with his wife Doreen, who sadly predeceased him in 2016. Now, whilst I’ve attended most of these as editor since 2005, I know they were bigger in earlier decades (as I came to one in my Capri in 1997, and it was definitely bigger); and also there was far more to Robert’s younger involvement in the fifteen years that preceded that. I’m not therefore the best person to produce a club obituary from 1982 or earlier from scratch, but I can edit promised contributions from others that have yet to materialise. Affectionately, I can say Robert was a great one for asking for an obit-piece in the Mag, and then essentially leaving it to me to find out anything at all about the person with little or no help from him! Well he’s finally got a better excuse! So if you grew up having your nappies changed in a 109E, and/or joined each formative club in turn, Now might be the moment for a memoir about our Robert ! Do send pictures in also; and RIP Rob, Stephen.
FCCOC are very sad to hear of the death of our club-cars’ Chief Stylist, Colin Neale at home in Northville MI, USA on Sunday 14 August 2016. An appreciation by FCCOC can be read here: https://www.fccoc.org.uk/colin-neale-1926-2016/
It is we with great sadness that we have to report the death of our chairman’s wife Doreen Bamford after apparent complications with an investigative operation in October. As may have been obvious to those attending the Club’s Autumn Autojumble at Great Leighs in September, where Doreen (and Jennette) were raising money for an Ovarian Cancer charity, she was herself fighting a version of the disease. However many of us were looking forward to seeing her again in the spring. Her death has taken us all by surprise.
Doreen Bamford was married to Robert for 47 years with a ten year courtship prior to that while they built the bungalow and other precursors. Doreen helped with the family business until they sold it and then worked as a nursing auxiliary near to home. Clearly Robert wasn’t expecting her to go before him and complains she hasn’t left a forwarding address. Incidentally Robert thanks those who knew about this earlier and sent cards or letters. He may not have read them all yet.
At the club meeting on 27th April 2014 a new constitution was adopted – a copy is here. The new constitution modernises the club’s operations and brings in a new role of vice-chairman.
Read our Club constitution.