I knew Jan and Ken for only the past six years, since I moved back to Herefordshire, but Colin Clark recalls how he and his wife Susanne first got to know the Fortys back in 1992. At that time Colin, Ken and a few other local members of the Herefordshire MAC and LMA decided to arrange a weekend fly-in at Much Marcle to which other members of the LMA would be invited. From that original weekend the Three Counties Show (later know as the Much Marcle Show) came into being. Both Ken and Jan were active in getting the ball rolling and Jan soon took on the role of organising the Visitor camping site, a role which she carried on until the latest Show in 2007 when she handed over to Gerald Matthews.
When I took over the organisation of the Show, Jan and Ken were part of the structure of the Show, she with the Camp site and he making sure everything was properly marked out. It was customary for them to arrive with their caravan early on the Tuesday of Show week and from then on her camping arrangements ran like clockwork. She seemed to know everyone and I think all the regulars treated the weekend as a sort of annual reunion. That helped to make the Show what we hope is still a very friendly gathering in a congenial atmosphere.
At home Jan was part of a close-knit family and her granddaughter obviously carries on the aeronautical interest through her membership of her local ATC Squadron in Stroud. Through that link we were able to get the Stroud ATC to take on the Car parking duties for the Show last year, a job which they did so well that we hope they will be back again and again.
Our thoughts are with Ken and the family and we send sincere condolences to them from all of us at Herefordshire MAC, from Much Marcle Show and, I am sure, from all in the LMA.
Bernard Morris
15th January 2008