Ian Durham, one of the best known residents of the Chew Valley, died at Stanton Drew Nursing Home on January 23. He moved there from his house in Tunbridge Close, Chew Magna after his 90th birthday in 2005.

A few years ago lan was awarded the MBE services to the community of Chew Magna. He and his wife Mary were renowned for the immense amount of research they did on the history of Chew Magna and the Chew Valley. Their book of old photo­ graphs of the area has been reprinted twice and copies have gone to all comers of the globe, lan also produced booklets on St Andrew's Church and The Old Schoolroom.

lan was born in Yorkshire . He worked in local government prior to going to Oxford as a mature student. Following the outbreak of war he spent six years in the army rising to the rank of Major. It was lan who accepted the sword of surrender from the Japanese in Singapore . In 1946 he married Mary, and joined the Extra Mural Dept of Bristol University as Resident Tutor in the Forest of Dean. Before he moved to a simi­lar job in Somerset in 1954 he had founded the still very active Dean Local History Society.

While living in Bristol lan became a magistrate; he was the Vice Chairman of the Juvenile and Domestic Courts and was given the responsibility for organising training courses magistrates. He was also appointed Senior Lecturer in Adult Education.

In 1971 lan and Mary moved to Chew Magna where Mary was already teaching French at the Sacred Heart School . They immediately became involved in village
affairs. In the 1970's they started the first History Society in the valley: this still has a large membership today.

Their series of three illustrated lectures on the history and buildings in the village were so popular they attracted a large audience when shown on succes­ sive winters for several years. Evelyn Burman recently produced these lectures for lan in a book entitled 'A Walk around Chew Magna'.

In 1981 lan together with the then Chairman of the Parish Council, the late Norman Reed, and Brian Fulwell, negotiated the purchase of The Old Schoolroom. He was responsible for raising much of the money required for renovation and repairs to convert the building to the fine hall it is today. He set up the Charity which administers it so well, and he and Mary laid the foundations of this important village facility. Following his long term as Chairman, lan was made Life President.

Another of lan's innovations was the founding of the Chew Lake Probus Club in 1989. It remains a very thriving organisa­ tion.

lan was Parish Councillor for 20 years being Vice Chairman for much of that time. He also revived the use of old parish charities, as a result many young people have had grants towards educational expenses.

Without the work of lan and Mary much of the village history would have remained unrecorded, and the old photographs lost. We, and future generations have rea­son to be grateful for their effort to preserve such a fine record of our locality.

Sheila Walker