by Nicholas Schofield (for his Memorial Service, 25th September 2026)

It’s a great honour to say a few words about Ken in my capacity as Chair of the Uxbridge Local History and Archive Society. He was a scholar and a gentleman – a friend, mentor and inspiration to so many of us. It will come as no surprise that the Society was at the heart of Ken’s life – and Ken was at the heart of the Society. Becoming a member in 1962- the year of the Beatles’ first single and the Cuban Missile Crisis – he took over as Chair in 1970 and only stepped down in 2024 – a record unlikely to be equalled in many historical associations! His name appeared in the first issue of our journal, The Uxbridge Record, in 1963 announcing a talk he was giving on ‘Railways in Uxbridge.’ From that time onwards he contributed regular articles, for many years edited that publication and gave his popular talks, always characterised by his astonishing breadth of learning, his gentle wit and his choice turn of phrase. It was fitting that his last talk as Chair was on ‘Railways in Uxbridge’ – so he had truly come full circle!

Added to this were the talks he gave in recent years to Uxbridge FM and the whole library of books that he produced, many of which grace our bookshelves at home – most recently a history of his beloved Bishopshalt. He did as much as he could to promote our local heritage and for many years produced the Hillingdon Conservation News each month with his neighbour, David Varley. He readily answered letters and emails about local history and gave help to budding researchers – whenever I shared with Ken the topic of a future talk or article I was considering, I would promptly receive an envelope of photocopies and cuttings from his collection.  

Ken was not like some local historians, who indulge in research as a hobby and become rather territorial about their field of expertise. Always the encouraging schoolteacher, he wanted others to share his passion. Moreover, thanks to his longevity, he was not only the historian of Uxbridge but represented in his person the history of the District (as he liked to call it). What changes he saw as a resident and local historian! He both wrote about the developments he witnessed and collected and recorded them, building up a unique archive collection (which I hope will be secured locally for posterity) and making full use of his camera as buildings and businesses disappeared and road layouts changed. He shared some previously unseen photographs at his last talk, earlier this year.

On his wanderings around Uxbridge he would occasionally find interesting items that seemed abandoned and were obviously looking for a new home! After the estate agents H & B Leno closed their High Street business around 1980, Ken found the front door slightly ajar and so he stepped inside. The place was deserted but lots of interesting things lay scattered on the floor, including a 12-page illustrated sales document for Wilton Lodge, which once stood on the junction of Uxbridge Road and Long Lane. Ken took as much as he could and carried it home! We give thanks that he did, preserving many important artefacts and treasures.

Ken truly was ‘Mr Uxbridge’. Even though he stepped down as Chair in 2024 he still gave talks and made broadcasts, he still edited the Uxbridge Record, he continued to produce his set of (often humorous) local anniversaries for each of our meetings, and he was ever ready to share his learning. It’s hard to think of him not sitting there on the front row any more, with Pam at his side.

Ken remained the intrepid historian to the very end. He had begun to gather his usual set of anniversaries for this month’s meeting when he was hospitalised. Angela and I were privileged to visit him several times in hospital that final week. On the Wednesday he was sitting up in his chair, testing his digital radio so that he could tune into the forthcoming Test Match against Pakistan. He mentioned almost in passing the doctor’s rather worrying prognosis and expressed regret that, at the age of 95, his faculties were failing – as could be seen in his alarming inability to now complete the Telegraph cryptic crossword. I didn’t want to mention that, despite being more than 40 years his junior, I wouldn’t be able even to get a single clue!  

Unfortunately, things took a quick downturn. We were present at one of his final lucid conversations, the day before he died. Though struggling to speak, his thoughts were on local history and a volume of his collected talks for Uxbridge FM that he hoped could be produced: Ken’s Uxbridge Chronicles. We visited him again the following day; by now he was sleeping and had foot in eternity. It seemed appropriate that he lay there on the seventh floor of Hillingdon Hospital, for if he was only able to look out of the window, he would see a fine view of his beloved Uxbridge – it was all there: the tower blocks of the town centre and (if one had good eyesight) the bell tower of the Market House, the spire of St Andrew’s, St John’s on Hillingdon Hill, the trees of Bishopshalt.  

Ken, ‘Mr Uxbridge’ we thank you for your exemplary service to promoting and preserving the history of this our town. We hope you now have a chance to meet all those characters that you spent your life studying and ask them lots of pertinent questions. It’s sad to say goodbye but we strive to continue your work and legacy – and get that volume of Ken’s Uxbridge Chronicles published. Your name will live on in Uxbridge’s history.  

Well done, good and faithful servant; may choirs of angels lead you to Paradise!