John Gagg
Tony Clayton
recent death. An enthusiatic writer and explorer of the waterways,
he will be greatly missed.
--
Tony Clayton
'Linton', Godalming Wharf
Tony.Cla...@pem.cam.ac.uk Home Page: http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk
Sent using RISC OS on an Acorn Strong Arm RiscPC
... "Bother", said Pooh, as the pin fell out the grenade
David Long
<can...@tclayton.demon.co.uk> writes
>It was with very great sadness that I learnt of John Gagg's
>recent death. An enthusiatic writer and explorer of the waterways,
>he will be greatly missed.
>
found a spare copy of his "5000 Miles, 3000 Locks" last week. He was
also a dedicated educationalist. Do you know when he died - or any
details of his Funeral?
--
David Long
Sankey Canal Restoration Society
http://www.scars.org.uk/
Updated October 2001 - with the Summer issue of our magazine CANAL CUTTINGS -
illustrated
Tim Lewis
>From: David Long Da...@scars.org.uk
>Date: 07/11/2001 07:22 GMT Standard Time
>Message-id: <aizBcjA1...@cableinet.co.uk>
>
>In article <20011106....@tclayton.demon.co.uk>, Tony Clayton
><can...@tclayton.demon.co.uk> writes
>>It was with very great sadness that I learnt of John Gagg's
>>recent death. An enthusiatic writer and explorer of the waterways,
>>he will be greatly missed.
>>
>He will indeed - a prolific waterways writer (I was thinking of him as I
>found a spare copy of his "5000 Miles, 3000 Locks" last week. He was
>also a dedicated educationalist. Do you know when he died - or any
>details of his Funeral?
According to the November IWA Head Office Bulletin he died on holiday on 19th
October, no details of the funeral.
*************************
Tim Lewis
Home e-mail: t...@timlewis.org.uk
Web Page: http://www.timlewis.org.uk
NB Fulbourne: http://www.fulbourne.org.uk
Home phone: 020 8367 6227
Mobile phone: 07802 518094
****************************
Jeff Dennison
wrote:
>He will indeed - a prolific waterways writer (I was thinking of him as I
>found a spare copy of his "5000 Miles, 3000 Locks" last week. He was
>also a dedicated educationalist. Do you know when he died - or any
>details of his Funeral?
From the IWA News from HQ
We are greatly saddened to report the death of John Gagg, at the age
of 85, on 19th October, following a severe stroke whilst on holiday.
A vocal waterways campaigner, who fully understood the power of the
press and how to use it to best advantage, John Gagg will be a sorely
missed commentator on the waterway scene, not least for his highly
popular 'Waterway Cuttings' feature in IWA's Waterways magazine, over
a period of more than 20 years. His last column will appear in the
November 2001 edition.
John Gagg was well known for his waterways books, achieving
publication of 14 titles in a 20-year period from 1970. He wrote
over 600 waterway articles for the press and lectured at social
meetings at nearly every IWA branch and for many waterway societies.
However his waterway literary career came at the very end of a life
long passion for education and literature, which saw him write over
130 books and edit more than 100 others. His books sold more than 20
million copies in Africa alone.
John Gagg's early career was in teacher training, which following a
visit to Africa on behalf of an educational publisher, led him to
write a New African English Course, the profits of which allowed him
to buy his first boat named 'NAEC' - later changed to 'Nike' which
was easier to say. With this boat, and its successors, he cruised
the system in the1960s, learning about the system and developing a
passion for the waterways.
Being an educationalist and author, it naturally followed that he
wrote about what he found, and tried to educate others. He joined
IWA in 1963 and his first article for the commercial inland waterways
press came in January 1973; his words have consistently appeared in
print ever since. John gained 12 Silver Sword cruising awards up to
1971, when took over organisation of the award until it finished in
1984.
In 1981 John Gagg stood for election to IWA Council, with a promise
to strengthen the Association's campaign against a then growing list
of waterway closures through lack of maintenance funding. He won the
strongly contested election, along with David Blagrove and Viscount
Hanworth, just beating fellow author Anthony Burton. He stayed on
Council for 5 remarkably busy years, organising first a National
Waterways Fortnight (180 events in 2 weeks) in 1983, followed by a
National Waterways Summer (200 different events, organised by over
100 different bodies) two years later.
His last initiative as a Council member was to launch the
Association's successful 'Waterways for Youth' campaign, which has
only recently culminated in the joint partnership with British
Waterways and The Waterways Trust. He stood down from Council in
1986 to publicly make way for 'younger blood', and was awarded
Honorary Life Membership.
The future of John's 'Waterway Cuttings' feature in Head Office
Bulletin has yet to be decided, but members are requested to continue
sending press cuttings to Head Office.
HTH
Regards
Jeff
Robin Nicholson
>It was with very great sadness that I learnt of John Gagg's
>recent death. An enthusiatic writer and explorer of the waterways,
>he will be greatly missed.
I recall two books - Canals in camera 1 and 2 - b/w snaps and very
grainy but very atmospheric in a way. These days pics are much better
but in those days, they seemed top notch.
---
Robin
Roger Davies
<bran...@pickles25.nojunkmail.freeserve.co.uk> writes
I was given those two books back in 1974, [I still have them] and was
immediately hooked on the world they portrayed.
I always wanted to meet him, so that I could complain about the money he
has indirectly led me to spend over the ensuing years! Alas, it is now
too late.
A very sad day for me.
- -
Roger Davies
To reply directly, replace nospam with rogdavies