The Best Guide for the Neston Area

Obituary - Robert Ellison of Neston

Robert Ellison died peacefully at the family home last week, at the age of 83.

We publish here an obituary written by Robert Clive, accompanied by images courtesy of Bernard Rose and Roger Ellison.

Robert 'Bob' Ellison at the Old Mill in Leighton Road, Neston.

Known to his many, many friends simply as Bob, he was a uniquely gifted and creative craftsman over his lifetime. To paraphrase that age-old saying, he was a jack of all trades and master of all.

He trained as a joiner and completed his national service in Libya in 1954. He and his wife Daphne decided in 1957 to buy a plot of land in what was to become Allans Meadow and build their own house. Bob designed, and both constructed from the ground up. This house became their home for nearly 60 years.

Later on, he turned his skills to glass engraving, and along with his business partner Lesley Blackburne, formed 'Meadow Glass', operating from The Old Mill Studio, Leighton Road. Many of Bob's customers came from the top drawer of society, including Former Prime Minister Edward Heath and the Royal Family. He designed and built (...with a little help from friends) the roof that you see on the Old Mill today.

Some samples of Bob's glass engraving work.

His hobbies were equally inspiring, producing probably the earliest known 'drone' - a kite, complete with attached camera, that allowed a series of photographs to be taken high above Parkgate Promenade, capturing images from The Boathouse to The Old Quay.

And from the skies to the seas, where in the 60s he hand-built many hovercraft, successfully testing them on the marsh near Marshlands Road, He even entered the world's first hovercraft rally at Lord Brassey's Apethorpe country home.

Bob tests one of his hand-built hovercraft.

In his later years, Bob took to modern media in a big way, producing videos of the Parkgate storm tides, and only last year, a 40 minute documentary of the 200th Ladies Club Walk. Most days he enjoyed strolling down to the Old Quay ruins, looking out onto the marshes where he had spent many happy times walking his dogs.

Robert (Bob) Ellison; A gentleman and a gentle man.

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Comments

Eunice U

At 12:30 on 3rd August 2015, Eunice U commented:

I had the good fortune, with Lesley Blackburn, to visit the top of the mill soon after it's completion and admire Robert's handiwork close up. A truly multi-talented gentle man. RIP

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CO Jones

At 22:32 on 4th August 2015, CO Jones commented:

A sad loss. Very nice interesting man who I had the pleasure of spending time with listening to his anecdotes.

Does anyone have information on when the church service Will be?

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John Cartlidge

At 18:10 on 5th August 2015, John Cartlidge commented:

Lovely man; Lived around the corner and we used to chat when he was walking his dog past my home up to Tanks Field / Flint Meadow. Always a smile and a wave.

Condolences to his family.

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BHFL

At 11:30 on 8th August 2015, BHFL commented:

His engraved glassware was absolutely beautiful. I visited the Mill in the 1970s, I think, to choose an item for a relative's special birthday. I only wish I could have afforded something for myself at that time. His natural history observations were captured perfectly.

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Shirley M

At 14:04 on 8th August 2015, Shirley M commented:

I was introduced to this lovely man by his friends Liz and Chris when I moved to Neston a few years ago. We had great chats about computer graphics and we were invited to see his DVDs of building his house and filming with his kite. His engraved glass is beautiful as is his wood carving and I don't know anyone else who's built and solar-heated their own swimming pool. We live in houses built where his grandfather was the last manager of the Neston town gasworks and we showed him round so that he could see it again after many years. I wish I'd known him for longer. I'll miss him.

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