Michael Edwards Obituary
We are sad to rather belatedly announce the very sad loss of a long-term member of TAG: Michael Edwards. Michael passed away on 6th July last year after a short illness, Mesothelioma, an Asbestos related disease which had gone un-diagnosed. He was 72.
Michael had a 1st Class Honours degree from the Welsh School of Architecture and then progressed with an MSc, and he met his future wife, Frances, there in 1964 and they worked together through a long and successful career. We are grateful to Frances for providing the background information for this obituary.
Francis writes:
“He never stopped enjoying his life and had embraced any project wholeheartedly, meetings always filled with infectious laughter of course!
He would never have stopped... on site still in June last year, on our latest project: working on one of Sir Edwin Lutyens’ first projects Chinthurst Hill. We were given Full Planning Permission days after he passed away including reinstating a huge gatehouse and other works there.
In 1976 we were lucky enough to work from a home studio, The Gardeners cottage at Orchards.
Orchards was my first project, Michael in British Rail at my elbow of course! We even restored the Jekyll gardens.
Michael left the Railway in 1994 when the 1000 strong Architects of the four regions were made redundant after privatisation. He had run major projects in BR including in his role as European Architect working with Grimshaw on Waterloo Eurostar station.
Any future projects large or small benefited from his forensic skills as an architect so we cracked on!
Orchards, Marsh Court, Tilford Institute, Rake Manor, Rake Court, and Sullingstead. RIBA awards followed for Folly Farm and Chinthurst and many beautiful Arts and Crafts houses, even by Voysey.
He had a wonderful conversation with Peter Kellow in 2011 for the Traditional Architecture Group which so demonstrated his love of the Arts and Crafts.
He was a founder member setting up Surrey Gardens Trust and after serious fund raising and hard work he succeeded in getting Jekyll’s plans and works (kept in the Beatrice Farrant collection at Berkeley University California) digitalised for use by students and garden owners for free. This has just been completed.
As a founder member of the Pembroke Town Walls Trust and of course a Pembrokeshire man, Lottery money has been made available to restore the walls of the Pembroke Town with its magnificent castle where Henry VII was born and presented on a shield to the people.
He promoted a Masonry course in the Sixth Form College there and an apprenticeship which is in place and will be used in the restoration of the ancient walls of the town.
We have three great children, two married, and two adorable grandchildren, all living at Roysted.
Michael was mentoring Sian, our daughter in 3rd year School of Architecture, Kingston.
We spent much time in our Bastide house in Loupia in the Aude, a lot of work on that house and in Pembrokeshire and flogging our hearts out in our Jekyll garden.
What a great life!”
Thanks to Frances for this very personal insight into Michael’s life and I am sure we all share in offering our condolences to her, and all their family and friends.
He was a very active and valued member of TAG and will be very much missed.