Mr Roy Middlebrook 1936 - 2009
The following is taken, with acknowledgments, from the Isle of Wight County Press, March 20, 2009 :
A pioneer of the Island folk revival scene, Roy Middlebrook, has died at St Mary's Hospital, aged 72.
Roy was born on June 27, 1936, in Warminster, Wiltshire, and attended Trowbridge High School for Boys. He moved to the IW in 1954 after winning a student apprenticeship at Saunders Roe, in East Cowes.
Roy gained a degree in mechanical engineering from Southampton University, which he followed up with post-graduate studies in aeronautics at Cranfield College.
On his return to the Island, he worked as part of the team at Highdown, near Alum Bay, developing the Black Knight rocket.
During the 1970s Roy took further studies in computing and served for many years as head of engineeering computing at Westland Aerospace until his retirement in 1996.
He was a founder member and regular performer for the Island Folk Song Club, which met weekly at the Sloop Inn during the 1960s.
When Men of Wight Morris started in 1970, he embraced that tradition with enthusiasm - playing, dancing and teaching.
Roy was a skilful accordion player, had a keen interest in local and family history, and was chairman of the Friends of Carisbrooke Castle Museum, and vice-chairman of the IW Family History Society.
He married Barbara Ann Mew in 1961. She died of cancer in 2002. Roy found love again in later years with Di Harding, but she, too, fell victim to cancer late last year.
Roy was taken seriously ill at the end of February and died at St Mary's Hospital on March 8.
Roy, who lived in Newport, is survived by his two children, Kay Arnold and Ian Middlebrook, and five grandchildren - Jonathan, Emily, and Jeremy Wells, and Alex and Zoe Middlebrook.
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Mrs Di Harding
The following appeared in the IWFHS Journal of February 2009 and is published with the agreement of Janet Few
It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Di Harding. Di had struggled with increasing ill health for the last couple of years and she died on 15th December 2008.
Well known in the world of Isle of Wight family and local history, Di was always a good person to turn to for advice. Having worked as an archivist, latterly, to the Royal Yacht
Squadron at Cowes, Di was particularly knowledgeable about maritime history and matters relating to the history of Cowes. Together with Jean Peters and I she presented several
family history courses to beginners on the Island, specialising in probate and parish material. Di was a very straightforward person and was generous with her time and copious
knowledge. She spent several years as editor of the IWFHS Journal until her increasing ill health forced her to resign.
I last met Di Harding in March (2008) when she and her partner Roy were in Devon in order to staff the IWFHS stand at the Plymouth Family History Fair. Later that week we had the chance for a
proper chat on home territory in North Devon. Part of the reason for her trip to North Devon was in order for Di to arrange her own funeral. She spoke, in her characteristically
brave and forthright way, of her limited life expectancy and it was a privilege to spend time with her. The Isle of Wight history world will seem strange without her.
Janet Few, President, IW Family History Society, January 2009.
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