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Keith Madder. It is with deep regret that I have to announce the death of Keith Madder. Keith died in St Oswald's Hospice on 27th April with Sarah his wife at his bedside. He had battled against Cancer for nearly 6 months, he died at the comparatively young age of 50. Keith was not only a colleague on Committee he was also a good friend & mate - we used to meet at the Beehive for a meal, where of course the trials and tribulations of the Group got a good airing. We sometimes disagreed about the way forward for the Group, but all in all we then laughed about it. Sandy (my wife) and Sarah also became (and still are) good friends and the four of us used to meet up for a meal occasionally , it was fair to say that Keith enjoyed his food, he used to say it helped him keep his “sylph” like figure. Keith and Sarah met in 1979 at Peterborough District Hospital where Sarah was training to be a nurse and Keith an Operating Department Assistant. They got engaged on Keith’s 21st Birthday, and were married in Stamford on 4th July 1981. They went to New Zealand to celebrate 25 years of marriage, and had planned another trip there to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary next year. When Sarah moved to Newcastle in 1980 Keith followed and obtained a position in the Operating Theatre at Newcastle General Hospital, first in Plastic Surgery and then in Neurology. Keith then went as a Medical Representative for a company selling Operating Theatre equipment - after a period he decided that he was spending far too much time away from home and Sarah. Keith had always had a passion for driving, and decided that he would become a Driving Instructor, he then qualified to become an Advanced Driving Instructor, this he thought would be a good business venture. Keith realised that it was not the quality of the driving training that seemed to matter it was cost - the cheaper you were the more pupils you taught, so reluctantly he decided to give up on this business idea and return to the NHS. He then worked at the Freeman Hospital where he became very interested in teaching and training new staff. In 2004 Keith moved to Wansbeck Hospital at Ashington, this offered him a better opportunity to follow his passion for training new staff. He and Advanced Diploma in Practice Education, sadly he was in the middle of extending this to degree level when he took ill. Outside of work Keith enjoyed many varied interests. He was very keen on wildlife having been brought up in the countryside. In 1990 both Keith and Sarah became involved with the Northumberland Badger Group, and used to go on “Badger Watching” expeditions. Driving, as everyone in the Group will know was Keith’s forte’, he was, if there is such a thing “a natural” driver. He also had a passion for motorcycles and was a Member of the Northumberland Advanced Motorcyclist (an IAM Group). His pride and joy (apart from Sarah) was his motorbike, as well as being a Member of 2 IAM Groups, he was also in the Honda Owners Group. Keith and Sarah enjoyed touring holidays on the Honda, mainly to Scotland. Keith had at sometime in the past a Harley Davison Motorcycle. So what else do we know about Keith? He had a quirky sense of humour and who could forget that laugh! He was also a keen cyclist - and had completed the C2C cycle route with Sarah He enjoyed cooking and did not need recipes, he liked to watch cookery programs on TV to get Idea’s for future meals He liked music - Rock ‘n’ Roll, Male voice choirs, and distinctive female vocalists (Kate Bush) Over the years Keith had been a loyal servant to the Group, carrying out various duties on Committee, and for one period he was very nearly the Committee. During this period he was: Chairman, Editor, Membership Secretary, Group Contact, Observer, Training Officer, and it was through this state of affairs that I offered to become Editor - solely to relieve Keith of one job. He stood down as Chairman in 2008, but retained the post of Group Membership Secretary. I have had several letters & emails sent to me by Members who were trained by Keith - they all say the same thing….his patience and empathy helped them become better drivers, culminating in them passing the Advanced Driving Test through the Group. Keith was indeed an avid trainer, he took me out for my final assessed drive before taking my test. Keith’s internment was at Bockenfield Woodland burial site near Felton in Northumberland on Wednesday 12th May 2010, there was a good turnout of both IAM Members and colleagues from the hospitals where Keith had worked. He was a well respected Member of Staff wherever he worked. The Regional Co-ordinator for Region 4 of the IAM (David Stringer) has written a letter of thanks to Sarah on behalf of the Group and IAM Region 4. To show respect to Keith at the AGM, I requested that all present stand and have one minute in silence not only to think of Keith but to think of all of the things he had done for our Group over the years.

Goodbye my friend - mines a “Speckled Hen”.

Obituary by James Heneghan, Group Secretary/Editor.