Obituary – Brian Anderson

Brian Anderson, Gentleman

One of the truly honourable members of the model yacht community has sadly died recently after a short illness. When you ask any of his club members, the first words that usually come to mind are “a real gentleman”. He was a good reliable friend and enthusiastic and accomplished boat builder and sailor, and would always be the first to help others.

Not only did Brian teach himself how to sail model yachts, but he also insisted on teaching his lovely close family how to sail and would sometimes pile them and their boats into a car, drive at speed (always at speed for Brian) across the Pennines, to clubs such as Fleetwood, to take part in an event, then drive back all in the same day.

Brian enjoyed sailing Vane yachts most, often with his mate Hughy; as he would say, it was more sociable than radio-controlled sailing though he also enjoyed doing that.

At Killingworth MYC in later years he would come to the club for a chat with club members and passers by while recording race results. He did better than anyone else in the herculean task of trying to make sure that we all sailed to the rules. Writers of race reports in light winds would regularly use one of Brian’s favourite sayings, “in trying and testing conditions”.

He hated parting with any of his boats, and would say “you wouldn’t sell your children would you?”. He had squirreled around his house at least a dozen boats which will be for sale in the near future.

I attach an interview I did with Brian for the Northern District. Memories from the past

Brian, we miss you. We should all follow one of his favourite sayings: “Be healthy, be good and be happy”.

Simon Robinson
Killingworth MYC