CPRE Kent last year lost two of its most gifted and passionate supporters – here we pay tribute to men who helped make our organisation what it is today
TIM READER
Tim was one of those increasingly rare countrymen who stayed true to his home turf, spending almost his entire life within a few hundred yards of the family farm of Uptons, between Yalding and Laddingford.
His interest in all aspects of country life and the environment proved invaluable to CPRE Kent, where he was an active member of both the Maidstone district and environment committees for many years. His knowledge of farming was particularly appreciated.
Born in 1946, Tim’s love of the outdoors began early, with school holidays spent helping on the farm, which had such animals as horses, bullocks and dairy cows, while hops were still picked by hand. After school, he studied agriculture at Hadlow College.
Six months travelling and working on farms in Canada broadened his experience before returning to join father Jack and cousin Peter at Uptons.
He accumulated huge knowledge and experience as the fruit and hop industries developed through the 1960s, 70s and 80s, with increasing mechanisation, pest control and developments in cold storage and packaging.
Sadly, in the late 1980s, structural changes in first the hop industry and then fruit led to the farm becoming unviable. This, combined with ill-health, saw Tim retire from active farming after almost 30 years in the job he loved.
He later became a volunteer member of the Upper Medway Drainage Board and served on Yalding Parish Council, where he kept watch on development proposals.
Tim leaves behind wife Ann, to whom he was married for 43 years.
GRAHAM WARREN
With the passing of Graham Warren, CPRE Kent has lost not only one of its most knowledgeable members a but a true gentleman.
Graham’s experience and understanding of the water industry was immeasurable and we were blessed to be able to draw on his vast reservoir of expertise.
Whether it was working as the resident geologist during Channel Tunnel site investigations in the mid-1960s; sharing his skills as a hydrologist in countries such as Iran, Greece and Zambia (where he was principal hydrologist and head of the country’s hydrological survey); or Kent area water resources manager with the Environment Agency, Graham enjoyed a stellar career in his chosen profession.
Just a week after retiring from the EA, Graham was at Ashford Wool Growers, where he bumped into Hilary Moorby, then CPRE Kent chair, who persuaded him to bring his talents to us.
His contribution was immense, writing influential papers on Kent’s water crisis, appearing as an expert witness on both hydrology and geology at planning inquiries and taking on a fracking brief that covered much of southern England. And he was never going to escape the job of chairing our environment committee!
Graham leaves wife Patricia, who he married in 1964, having met her at a jazz club four years earlier, and son Simon.
Graham’s advice was telling in the protection of so much of Kent, but for a moment of reflection, you might like to walk in West Wood, Lyminge, the destruction of which by a proposed ‘holiday village’ he helped thwart. There could perhaps be no finer tribute.
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
