Eastbourne Trades Council pays tribute to two long standing friends of the trade union movement in Eastbourne, who have recently been taken from us.
TONY RIDDINGTON was a stalwart of the Labour and trade union movement in Eastbourne over many decades. A TGWU (now Unite) activist, Tony was a proud member and officer of Eastbourne Labour Party, standing for election many times in the Langney and St Anthony's area of the town. He also served tirelessly as the Secretary of the Trade Union Club in Seaside. Tony was also an officer of the Eastbourne Trades Council for many years, and it was a great sadness to us that he was unable, for health reasons, to return to activism when the Trades Council was reformed in 2011. Tony passed away suddenly but peacefully at home on Thursday May 24th.
Tony's funeral will be on on June 15th at Eastbourne Crematorium, at 1.45pm. All friends welcome- please wear colours. Family flowers only or donations for Cystic Fibrosis Trust or St Wilfrid's Hospice to Serenity, South Street Eastbourne.
ROY MARTIN represented the Musicians' Union on the Eastbourne Trades Council up to his untimely death, and was a regular attendee at our meetings. As well as being a popular local jazz musician, his background was as an electrician, and he was for many years an activist and convener for the EEPTU union- now part of Unite- of which he also remained a lifelong member. Roy was a Liberal Democrat councillor for Polegate North on both Polegate Town Council and Wealden Borough Council, and for many years also served Polegate on East Sussex County Council. Roy sadly passed away on Wednesday 30th May. He was 86 years old.
Funeral details to follow.
The death of Tony Riddington sees another stalwart of the T&G in Eastbourne leave us.
ReplyDeleteTony succeeded Harry Beeney as Chair of 1/579, a composite branch in the town.
Like Harry, Tony`s knowledge of local authority industrial relations issues was encylopaedic. He was always ready to offer sound advice at the monthly branch meetings held in an upstairs room of the TU Club in Seaside.
With Len Caine, there were few issues that this troika could not comment upon with erudicity & authority.
But Tony - again like Len & Harry - was far more than a trade union apparatchik. They were all deeply committed socialists & Labour Party members. Although Tony did once say to me that if he had stayed in Leicester, his home town, he would probably have joined the Communist Party.
Tony also loved Rugby League & made an annual pilgrimage to Wembley for the Challenge Cup Final.
I will remember Tony for his humour, enthusiasm & kindness as well as his immense intellect, which like the branch secretary, Ted Gearing, he wore lightly.
With Tony`s death, a generation that encouraged & nurtured my own involvement in the labour movement, has passed.
We shall not see his like again.
A luta continua
Bill Ball
[ Secretary Lewes Trades Council ]
I knew Tony a long time. Politically, we never saw eye to eye but we always got on well and never had a harsh word between us. I hope all of his ex Labour Party colleagues can make it to pay their respects.
ReplyDeleteDave Poole
NIce tribute from Norman Baker MP to Roy:
ReplyDeleteNorman Baker- Lewes MP remembers: “Polegate's MP Norman Baker says: "I have known Roy for around 25 years and will miss him very much. He was a fantastic and unique character who was much loved in the town and beyond.
"He was an assiduous local councillor who always did his best to help local people, and with the energy of a man half his age. He did much to put the Lib Dems on the map in Polegate.
"He was also a great jazz musician, and was still playing with his band, the Jazz Caverners, until very recently, a band that he started before I was born.
"I am really glad I was able to get a coach named after Roy, which I hope will continue to come through Polegate and be a lasting tribute to him."