Obituary: Bob Gleghorn

It is with much regret that we report the death at the age of 62 of Bob Gleghorn at the end of December, a member for fifteen years of the old Seaham Branch in the North East, then of Central Branch.

Bob was born in the Seaham area of County Durham in 1930 and for most of his working life worked at Dawdon colliery as a miner, until 1984 when he took voluntary redundancy. Before joining the Socialist Party he frequented many political meetings in the Seaham and Sunderland areas— Labour, Liberal and left-wing groups—and was totally disillusioned with all of them; he even once stood as an independent socialist for the local council.

He was a most prodigious writer of letters to the local press over a number of years. Together with other members in the area, and under a range of pen-names, a collection of many hundreds of excellent published statements was accumulated and has been collected as a presentation set. Bob’s vision of the socialist alternative never diminished, and he succeeded in inspiring other sometimes wavering comrades. Bob was not only a fellow socialist but a genuine friend, and he will be sadly missed by his family and comrades. We extend our condolences and best wishes to his wife, Beatrice, and family.

H. W.