Bill Wood

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of long-standing volunteer Bill Wood who died in the early hours of Wednesday 22 April at St Teresa’s Hospice in Darlington. Bill brought to the Society a lifetime of engineering knowledge as a marine engineer and boiler inspector. He was a valued member of the Wednesday gang and on open weekends would selflessly give help wherever needed, either on the machinery where he particularly enjoyed the beam engine or in the entrance where he would greet visitors with a warm welcome. His encyclopaedic knowledge of Pressure Vessel Regulations made Bill a natural choice for the administration of our boilers and compressed air plant. He organised boiler inspections and took care of all associated maintenance as well as documenting safe methods of work. For many years Bill was a member of the Management Committee where he acted as Treasurer and Administrator of boiler and public liability insurance. He would often entertain us with stories of his latest dealings with the bank’s increasingly bureaucratic procedures where his calm yet rigorous approach would save the day.