I was sad to learn of the death of Brian (Buzz) Morrison who passed on 30 April, aged 92. I first became aware of him when bowling in KTBA Area championships and other local events. As a teen, I used to watch him and his wife Janet bowl and hope that, one day, I would achieve their level of skill. At that time, Janet was a member of the England ladies’ team.
In 1964, Brian was manager of Bexleyheath then Dagenham bowling centres as well as Chairman of the Kent and SEBA area associations. He was a great believer in the BTBA and he spent time encouraging bowlers to join the Association.
Martin Webster (BTBA) comments “I have fond recollections of Brian and Janet as I bowled in the Bexleyheath YBC at Bexleyheath where my parents, George and Jean, worked in the Club that was situated upstairs. Brian and Janet were a wondaful couple who were totally dedicated to the promotion of tenpin bowling in the UK”.
Brian was the country’s leading railway photographer and a regular contributed to specialist railway enthusiast magazines such as the “Railway Herald”. John Cudmore (ex KTBA Chairman) recollects that in honour of Brian’s achievements, Virgin Trains named one of its trains after him. One side of the loco was a plaque that bore Brian’s name and the other side, Janet’s. Should readers be interested to learn more of Brian’s photographic achievements, a Google search will pay dividends.
One of my special memories was Brian and Janet’s close friendship with Cuthbert Collingwood “Teddy” Tinling who bowled league with them at Bexleyheath. Teddy was a flamboyant character who, apart from being a war time spy, then author, and renowned fashion designer, particularly for creating colourful dresses for the leading tennis players of that time, including Chris Evert who was World number 1.
Teddy is also well worth a Google!
Brian Morrison, a great ambassador of our sport.
