I (Ron Nozedar) received this letter today from Mrs Ely’s son but unfortunately he forgot to sign it. Mrs Ely, wife of George Ely, has sadly died.

Anyhow I’ve sent a reply via that address I’ll see if I have deciphered it correctly.  I will let you know if he gets in touch. I do not know if he has got in touch with Mike Kilgour, or anyone else. If he replies perhaps his letter ought go on club website notifying everyone about his mother, as she, and the family, subscribed to the Ely Trophy.

 Ron

Barming,
Maidstone,
Kent

16 February 2015

Dear Ron,

When I was visiting my mother’s house over Christmas I found your card to her, which I put in a ‘safe place’ with the Christmas edition of Scene. It has taken all this time to find it again amongst all the ‘paperwork’ and other mounds of items that I have been collecting from her house, and yet there remains masses to retrieve and sort through! As for photographs, there are literally hundreds, more like a couple of thousand!

You have no doubt gathered that Mum has died, on 9th August, in the local hospice where she had been for four weeks, having been transferred after a week in hospital. She had been in considerable pain from prior to Christmas 2013, eventually diagnosed with a hernia.

It took until March 2014 before she was operated on, but the medics did not tell her, or us, that they had discovered pancreatic cancer also. So, it has been quite a busy year for us and continues so, as my wife, Christine and I are sorting out the house and her belongings, eg 5 wardrobes crammed with dresses and suits dating back to the 1950s and 40 + pairs of shoes, some dating back to the 1940s!… and all this has to be dealt with prior to valuing everything to get probate on her estate. As you may realise this is quite a task, which we do not have a lot of enthusiasm for, both now into our 70s and living thirty miles away. One of the benefits of being an only child I suppose.

So, you have retired again as Scene editor. It has been a long and valiant innings. It is just a great shame that the majority of HTRC members have not appreciated your hard work and loyalty by supporting you with articles. Unfortunately it is a common feature of many clubs and church magazines.

I have been only too aware of it as my wife edited/produced a church mag for many years. I have said many times that your Scene is the best club or church mag that I have ever seen… much to Christine’s scornful looks! But she has also said the same, that from a fellow ‘professional’. I know that Dad would have been saddened that Scene has come to an end in printed form, as he looked forward very much to receiving it. Me also.

Having only just scanned through your last edition I look forward to a good read, especially the Six Day item. I have books of Dad’s about similar events and club activities way beyond 100 years ago in respect of the Catford CC. If you could let me have details of the new editor/distributor (he’s got a tough act to follow!). I would be grateful.

Thank you for your time and loyalty in producing Scene. I will miss it. It is/was a quality magazine worthy of official recognition.

Unsigned, but from Dennis Ely