BOB HOYLE

Sadly, Bob Hoyle has died from cancer after a relatively short illness. He was born on 2 May 1913 and was appointed as the first environmental health officer to the newly formed South Cambridgeshire DC in April 1974. He had been the chief public health officer for the former South Cambridgeshire Rural DC, which merged with Chesterton RDC to form the new authority.

He qualified as a sanitary inspector in 1937 and was appointed by Liverpool Council. Initially, he worked in the South Scotland ward, in close proximity to the docks, an area of great social deprivation. His district housed approximately 29,000 people living in just a square quarter of a mile in overcrowded houses, many back-to-back, with several families sharing communal WCs, and where infectious disease and vermin were commonplace. The inspectors actually wore a police-style uniform then but with a homburg hat, and drew a £10 annual boot allowance.

His duties included making regular inspections, some just after midnight, of the several common lodging houses, which slept up to 30 foreign seamen and dockworkers, not always in separate beds! He also helped prevent the risk of malaria spreading from mosquitoes which had travelled in on foreign ships, and which bred in the many static water tanks maintained for fire-fighting purposes. Specimens of the insects were collected, and sent to Hayling Island in Hampshire for identification of malarial carriers.

During the war, Liverpool docks were heavily blitzed. Bob was involved in overseeing the salvage and certification of large quantities of bomb damaged foodstuffs which were fit for consumption at a time of serious rationing, and ensuring that the vitally needed food stocks were kept free from pest infestation and damage. He recalled that in one very large warehouse complex, large numbers of rats infested the lift shafts, and were even drinking from the WC cisterns. In addition, besides his normal health protection duties in the city, he had to help find homes for bombed-out families, by billeting them using emergency wartime powers, and keeping an eye on their welfare.

In 1946, he took a cut of £40 in his annual salary, and moved to Sawston in South Cambridgeshire, where he joined a sole inspector at the RDC for £300 a year. It was here that he met, "the best secretary that I have ever had", who subsequently became his wife. Sadly, Mrs Hoyle died a few years ago, having suffered from Alzeimher's disease.

In his early days in South Cambs, Bob remembers a senior councillor, who was also a dairy farmer, making daily milk deliveries from a horse-drawn float carrying churns from which he actually bottled the milk, and sealed it with a cardboard cap. An illegal practice.

In 1951, Bob became the chief public health officer and was responsible for 52 parishes, mostly without a piped water supply or main drainage, and with no proper refuse collection service. In those immediate post-war years there was an acute housing shortage, with many families living in pretty poor conditions in abandoned former army hutments throughout the area.

The Government required a detailed survey of all the lower-rated houses, and as a result, between 300-400 properties were condemned as unfit for human habitation. A large number of these were demolished as they were well beyond repair. This necessitated a house building programme, which the council tackled enthusiastically.

The collection and disposal of domestic refuse was more or less left to the various parish councils, who from time to time would notify the residents. They would engage a local farmer to run around with his cart to collect the rubbish and then tip it in the local parish pit. It would then probably be set ablaze. This contrasted with the situation in Liverpool before the war. There the council tipped some types of refuse into large hoppers, which were then taken by boat across the harbour bar and tipped directly into the sea. However, in 1949, South Cambs RDC commenced a direct labour system of refuse collection and disposal, initially just in Sawston parish, but later extended throughout the area.

Mr Hoyle was later part of a professional working party researching solutions to the shortage of landfill disposal sites, coupled with the ever-increasing volumes of refuse put out by the public. Following sites to several places in Europe, a refuse pulverisor was constructed in Thirplow parish to compact the volume and hasten the decay process when used as landfill.

One of the most important duties of the health department during the 1950s was to ensure the purity of drinking water supplies. Up until then, in some of the outlying villages this meant (at best) a pump on the village green, many of which had to be closed because of groundwater contamination from cesspools in the vicinity. In consultation with a firm of water engineers, the extension of piped water supplies to the various parishes continued, and this in turn required the construction of main drainage systems, together with sewage purification plants. The largest was in Sawston parish. In 1963, the management of rural water supplies was handed over to Cambridge Water Company.

Another important duty came when the Ministry of Food returned the meat hygiene duties to the districts after the war. Two large private abattoirs were opened, and additional inspectors had to be appointed specifically to supervise hygienic measures, and the individual inspection of meat carcasses.

On his retirement as EHO to South Cambs DC in March 1977, Mr Hoyle was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in recognition of his work in local government over a period of 40 years.

Mr Hoyle was a very competent professional, and a loyal supporter of his professional association, serving on the Centre Council for many years. He was a kind man, keen to train students, and well-liked and respected by his colleagues...and a fervent health educator by his own personal example, as his long life has shown.

Mr Hoyle is survived by his son, daughter and three grandchildren.

Bernard Hutchings, FCIEH

GEORGE JARVIS, FCIEH

I regret to announce that George Jarvis, a former chief public health inspector at Chester City Council passed away on 17 October 2002, aged 85.

George was born and raised in Chester, where he spent the majority of his career. He became a student member of the Sanitary Inspectors Association in 1936, qualifying in 1938.

He served in the Royal Engineers in the Second World War rising to the rank of captain. In 1944 while serving in Northern France he met his future wife Madeline - they have two daughters.

After war service, George returned to his profession at Chester, eventually becoming chief public health inspector in 1968.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, George was particularly active in the modernisation of the professional standing of his department. His influence on strategic local authority and private sector planning was considered highly effective in, the resolution of private sector housing issues, the creation of a new central public market complex and the provision of a new state of the art public abattoir with associated ancillary services.

George was active in the former Chester and North Wales branch, being secretary for many years and was awarded a Fellowship of the Association in 1963.

After retiring early from Chester City in 1974, he returned to the profession working with Alyn and Deeside District Council for a number of years. Following his retirement, he continued as a regular attendee at branch meetings well into his eighties, and was president of the Clwyd and Conwy branch in 1992 and 1993. He received his 50-year membership certificate in 1998.

George was multi-talented. An extremely accomplished pianist, at one time he considered a full-time professional career in music. He designed the family home and the house and garden are testimony to his skill and dedication. George was a keen amateur astronomer. He was also interested in painting, as both an observer and practitioner and once when on holiday in France he met Picasso.

Andrew Fuller FCIEH

TOM STEEL, FCIEH

Tom Steel, aged 85, the first chief environmental health officer (CEHO) at Crawley UDC, died on 27 August. Qualifying in 1938 in Folkestone, Kent, Tom moved first to Sunbury-on-Thames and then Tunbridge Wells. Having joined the Territorial Army, the outbreak of the Second World War meant he was eligible for immediate call up. Joining the Royal Artillery, he was later commissioned and served in North Africa and Italy.

Demobilisation saw him returning to Tunbridge Wells, but in 1954 he moved to Horsham RDC with specific responsibilities for the development of Crawley new town. On the formation of Crawley UDC in 1956, Tom was appointed its CEHO.

The Crawley appointment proved ideal for him and gave him immense satisfaction as he relished the opportunities for developing new standards. His straightforward approach gained him the confidence and respect of people at all levels with his leadership qualities quietly achieving a well-managed department with a loyal and happy staff. Involved in the setting up of Crawley's new NALGO branch, he was also a strong supporter of the Association and Guild encouraging his staff to participate in branch activities.

Elected to Fellowship, he served on the General Council from 1967 to 1974. In 1971 he was appointed chairman of the Working Party on Food Hygiene which published its far-reaching report the following year. With local government re-organisation in 1974, Tom took early retirement when he again used his many practical skills in a variety of community projects, including work on the Wey-Arun Canal Conservation Scheme.

Happily married since 1939, 1999 brought the celebration of Tom and Winnie's Diamond Wedding Anniversary. This much loved man is sadly missed by Winnie and their three children and families, together with his many friends

Ken Tyler