For those of you who knew him, and for many others who would know his name, I am sorry to report that Harry Appleyard died peacefully at lunch-time last Wednesday, 19 May 2021. He had needed to go into care a few months ago but over recent weeks his condition deteriorated rapidly leading to his death. He was 78 years of age. He never married and is survived by a younger brother.
Harry was a long-serving member of the Teesside Ship Society and the World Ship Socioety. His work as a customs officer took him away from our area for several years while he served at Sittingbourne and Fleetwood, otherwise he could have claimed to have the longest continuous membership of our local society, dating back I think to the late 1950s.
For many years Harry was a member of the WSS Central Record team and also co-editor of Marine News. He had a number of fleet list histories published by the WSS and had an extensive slide collection dating nack to the late 1950s.
For myself I have known Harry for the best part of 60 years. I have a vague recollection of once meeting him on the Middlesbrough Dock footbridge some time before I met up with him when I joined the Teesside Ship Society in November 1964.
Although his interest perhaps waned slightly over recent years he will be sorely missed for all he could contribute to shipping history and researh both locally and nationally. For a while he contributed material to NEM and some of his photos can be seen by searching posts by HSA.
Ron M,