Derek Blackshaw

[Ian Turner]

#2882

It is with immense sadness that I convey the news that Derek Blackshaw, former branch chairman, lost his battle with Leukaemia on 3 February. Derek was the driving force behind the branch for many years and his retirement from branch activities, due to his health, has been very noticeable. He is already missed.

As well as chairman, Derek has played a major role in Barrel Organ (our branch magazine) production and distribution, beer festivals and beer tasting.

• This topic was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Ian Turner.

[Eleanor Roberts]

#2895

It’s not only the chats about beer with Derek that I miss. He was such a great person, illustrated by the fact that someone I know was a patient of his at the Old Manor for a spell and thought the world of him.
Derek and I discovered, on a city saunter some four years ago, that we both shared a liking for Emmylou Harris. Derek had been an avid fan for many years whereas I’d been listening to her music for a much shorter time. We were in the New Inn at the time, and I can remember it being a bit noisy at the bar. We went into the garden, so we could both hear better and spent some time talking about folk music. Again, he knew far more than me. I did manage to tell him something he didn’t know – that Emmylou duetted with Bob Dylan on most of the songs on his 1976 album Desire. That fact had somehow escaped his notice. He bought me the next beer as a reward.
We exchanged a series of emails about Emmylou only a few months before he died.

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