Richard (Dick) Graham, a stalwart of Radstock Museum, a founding member of Radstock, Midsomer Norton and District Museum Society and Local Historian, passed away at the RUH surrounded by his family, on the morning of March 6th 2019 at the age of 92.

Dick was born in Dartford, Kent in 1926. He grew up with a passion for history, archaeology, paleontology and world events. During the Second World War, he witnessed many battles in the skies above Kent before being evacuated in 1939 to Peasedown St John. It was here he met his future wife, Vera Willcox – they married in 1949, and enjoyed 54 years of marriage until Vera passed away in 2003.

Dick joined the RAF in 1942, and was posted for several years in both India and Egypt. He was well known in the community, and every year could be seen laying a wreath in Midsomer Norton on Remembrance Sunday, and was also involved with helping the local Royal British Legion branch with the annual commemoration.

Following his career in the RAF, Dick settled back in the Peasedown St John area and became a printer. He collected lots of old, local, postcards and became involved with many local exhibition. He also gave talks to raise interest and money for the (back then) fledgling idea of a museum in the Somerset Coalfield. He was instrumental in founding Radstock Museum, and continued to volunteer and carry out research at the museum, right up until a few months ago.

His local historical knowledge and also that of printing combined, led to him becoming a founding member of Five Arches, the museum’s local history journal, for which he contributed many articles over the years. Along with his friend, Dennis Chedgy, the most famous regular feature they produced together for Five Arches, was entitled ‘Rambles’, whereby they would set out the details of a local walk, which included old photographs and snippets on the history of the locality.

Dick also helped to set up the original Research Room and devising the original Research Room Files and Boxes. The files, of which there were over ninety, were designed as a set of research topic folders, such as mining, occupations, transport and villages, which held much material. These were used extensively for research queries and source material for Five Arches. Dick also donated much material to this collection himself, particularly a large selection of 35mm colour slides covering a wealth of topics; a collection which was later digitised.

Dick wrote four books (and was working on a fifth) on the history of Peasedown St John and Carlingcott; in a series called A Look Back In Time. All these books are available from the shop at Radstock Museum and all proceeds go to keeping the museum open for future generations, which Dick, was of course, passionate about.

Dick and Vera had three children – Janice, Catherine and David, who have been greatly influenced by their father’s love of history, and the museum volunteers send their heartfelt good wishes to Dick’s family at this sad time.

Dick’s funeral took place on Friday, 22nd March at Midsomer Norton Methodist Church. In a fitting tribute to Dick, a fly-past of a Spitfire took place in the skies just over Peasedown St John, where locals gathered to watch the spectacular sight and pay tribute to a man who will be greatly missed.

Lucy Tudor