Fenland Branch and CAMRA have lost a most admired and loved friend, and supporter of the real ale cause.

Rodney was a founder member of Fenland CAMRA in June 1974 and it is sad to note that he won't be with us when we celebrate 40 years of Fenland. As well as having a sound knowledge of beers and breweries in those early years, Rodney was always keen to seek out those pubs and ales off the beaten track, and his enthusiasm never wavered over the years.

He was a committed committee member and as well as helping to organise beer festivals, social events and trips he was the instigator of many of the features we take for granted in Fenland Branch today. Rodney produced and printed our branch newsletter Pub Mirror - almost singlehandedly - writing the editorial and many of the articles, although he always welcomed contributions and would often add a subtle editorial pen to a contributor's piece to bring out the best in it.

Heather and Rodney came up with idea of what he liked to call Sunday Socials. H &R organised our first walk on 6th January 2002 from the Mermaid at Surfleet which was memorable for the frosty weather, 22 walkers, and the fact that the halfway house - the old Ship Inn - refused to open its doors (the building was later demolished and the Ship as we know it today built). Rodney recorded in Pub Mirror that the Riverside Inn, with just one handpump, managed to serve a fine pint of Ansells Bitter to all concerned. In later years Rodney instigated the long and slightly tortuous path of our website.

On first appearances, to some, Rodney resembled that of the absent minded professor. Certainly the academic side was there with plenty of inspirational ideas. The absent minded side comes to many of us in time and committee members recall Rodney losing his temper on just one occasion when he admitted to being a member of CRAFT ! (Can't Remember A Flippin' Thing).

Rodney always volunteered to visit pubs in the area to collect information for the GBG, even though he had probably visited most of them before on many occasions, but took on the task with his usual sense of humour and seemed to have an affinity with the locals even though he was brought up in the south of England. Accompanying him to beer festivals far and near was always a delight and he would often seek out a beer that no-one else knew of. Many an event (beer sampling, dining, mystery parties) was held at Grove Farm House where a warm welcome was always guaranteed.

As well as beer and pubs Rodney had many other interests of course - jazz, Radio 4, and literature were just some and of course he was a staunch active member of the local Rotary Club and for many years a governor of Spalding Gleed Girls School. Needless to say Rodney is sadly missed by all who knew him.

Fenland Branch's thoughts are with Heather and the girls.