34 / 189
4
OBITUARY
MODERN
COMPANIES
DINNERS
Bertie’s
funeral
took place
at
St Edmunds
Church, Larkswood Road, Chingford, Essex on
9th August.
A
Service of Thanksgiving
for Bertie’s
life was
Liveryman
P.A.D.
(Paddy)
Sheen,
held
at The Church of
St. Lawrence
Jewry,
Gresham
Street, London, EC2 on Thursday 16th
1933
- 2006.
Eur.Ing, BSc, CEng,
November 2006.
FIEE,
FIFireE,
FAE,
FRSA
A
full
tribute
to Bertie Gillings
and
his
Patrick
lost
a bravely
fought battle with
cancer
contribution
to
the Company will
appear
in
and passed
away on
the 28th
July 2006.
Edition No 9 of
Salamander.
He was
a
former member of Peterborough’s
‘Volunteer’
Fire Brigade, which
is
still
a
true
‘volunteer’'
fire
station
run
as
a
charitable
trust
within
the
local
authority;
a Member of
the
Institute of Electrical Engineers
and
a Past
International President of
the
Institution of
Fire
Engineers, 1990-91.
Patrick’s
academic
career
reached
its peak
in
the
late 1970’s when
he was
appointed
the Principal
of Peterborough Regional College.
Following
this
The Master, Martin Coffey
and
period,
he devoted much of
his working
life
as
a
consulting
forensic
engineer
specialising
in
fire
Upper Warden Viv
Jones
related matters. He was
admitted
to
the Livery
of
the Worshipful Company of
Firefighters
in
attended
the Modern Companies
2002.
Dinner on Monday 11th
During Patrick’s
lifetime work,
he
assembled
a
September 2006.
unique, much-loved
and
enthusiastically
cherished
library of books, magazines
and
articles
about
fire
engineering,
fire
insurance
and
fire
brigades. Patrick bequeathed
this
collection
to
the
Firefighters’ Company with
a
request
that
it
be placed on
loan
into
the
care of London
Fire
Brigade’s Museum
at
Southwark where
it will be
a
valuable
national
research
resource. This
collection of
several
hundred books
and other
written material
is
currently being
catalogued
and
prepared
for
library display by
the museum’s
staff
assisted by Liveryman
and Court Assistant
John
Lowndes
and our Honorary Archivist Martin
Lloyd-Elliott.
A memorial
service
for Patrick was
held
at
Richmond, North Yorkshire on
the 4th August,
when many
local people
and
friends
joined
his
widow Kathleen
and
family
at
the
church. Among
those
giving
thanks
for Patrick’s
life were
three
The occasion provides
the opportunity
for
members of
the Peterborough Volunteer
Fire
Masters
and
Senior Wardens
from
the Modern
Brigade
and Bill Cox,
the
recently-installed
Companies
to
get
to
know one
another.
There
is
International President of
the
IFE.
Immediate
also
a
guest
speaker who on
this occasion was
Past Master Alan Wells
attended
the
funeral
to
Murray Craig, Clerk of
the Chamberlain's Court.
represent
the Company.
Following
the
service,
Patrick’s widow Kathleen
and
family
A
‘Modern Company’
is one
formed
since
the
accompanied Patrick
to
nearby Darlington
for
a
‘Long Gap’ which
ended with
the
formation of
private
cremation.
the Master Mariners
in 1926.
The Master
and
Upper Warden
are
invited
to
these Dinners
and
their organisation
rotates
around
the
various
Past Master Bertie Gillings
companies.
The
Firefighters
hosted
the 2005
dinner
and will be
hosting
the
next dinner
in
It was with
great
sadness
that
the Company
Autumn 2018.
The Modern Companies
are
good
received
news of
the death of Bertie Gillings,
at
forward planning!
Founder Member, Past Master
and Officer of
the
Worshipful Company of
Firefighters.