Eulogy - KEN RUSSELL

Ken Russell A Tribute Ken Russell, founder of the Glenfield Gazette, died peacefully in October 2021.

He led a remarkably full and varied life.

This tribute was written by his wife, Nichola, and read by his friend, Gary, at his funeral on 16th November 2021.

The Gazette carried his obituary in December 2021.

All images and content Nichola Pell.

None is to be reproduced without prior written consent.

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Dr Kenneth Victor Russell It is never easy to give a view over a person’s life in just a few minutes. It’s even harder when it comes to Ken, because he packed so much into his 91 years. In fact, he managed to fit more into each stage of his life than most people do in an entire life.

As well as giving a bit of a biography, I’ll try to capture some of the flavour of this resourceful, open-minded man full of boundless energy.

From Railway Clerk to RAF Radar Assistant, to primary school teacher, prospective Member of Parliament, instructor at teacher training college, journalist, Law Lecturer, visiting Professor at University of Nevada, Ken never let the grass grow under his feet!

And this is before his second, third and fourth careers in publishing, sports, politics and as local historian. He also found time for three marriages, three children, three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and as much foreign travel as he could cram in.

His taste for adventure always remained undimmed – in his 60s camping in Goa, India for Christmas, in his late 70s climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and exploring Mayan pyramids and, in his late 80s, swimming in the Dead Sea and heading up mountains in Switzerland. Even a few months ago he was lining up a short break to his in-laws on the coast, and hopeful of a trip to New Zealand in the near future.

Like all of us, he had his faults. He could be rather stubborn and opinionated. But he was fearless and adaptable, and he kept a mischievous sense of fun, still managing to surprise wife Nichola after so many years.

Family and Friendships Taking things more in order, he was born in Brierley Hill in the Black Country on 11 th November 1929 to Doris and Victor Russell. The family was poor and they lived in terraced house with few facilities. His brother Peter arrived ten years later.

Ken married Doreen in 1956 with their daughter Nicola arriving in 1960 and son Simon in 1963. A second short marriage to Shane was followed a few years later by wedding to Nichola.

Their son Toby arrived in 2003 when Ken was 74, and they finally got round to tying the knot in 2007. They were together for 25 years, despite the small age gap of 40 years!

For quite a bit of this, Nichola’s main problem was in trying to keep up with Ken. 2

Ken had a knack for making and keeping friends of every age, and at every stage of his life. Jim Pickering was an American serviceman stationed in Brierley Hill in the war, and the Pickerings still see Ken as a member of their family today. Other friends in the USA, Canada, New Zealand and beyond remained part of his life.

Not only that, colleagues, students and work collaborators became valued friends with bonds that have remained warm and strong over the years. Professional relationships with accountants, stockbrokers and publishers and others developed into some enduring friendships. And good neighbours have been treasured by Ken, Nichola and Toby.

The last few months of his life at Woodlands care home were no exception and he took the opportunity to share his stories with staff and residents, and to hear theirs.

Teaching and early career Ken went to his local primary school where he won a scholarship to King Edward Grammar School in Stourbridge. This is where his love of rugby began. His first job was as a clerk with British Rail, on the princely wage of £3 per week.

National Service in the RAF 1948-1950 was followed by Sheffield College where he qualified as a teacher in 1952, then further study at Birmingham University. He reached the position of Deputy Head before becoming a Lecturer at Leicester College.

Ken obtained a Masters degree, then a PhD to become Dr Russell for his research thesis ‘Complaints Against The Police’ and moved to the Law school at Leicester Polytechnic.

Ken wrote and collaborated on many academic books, in law, sociology, criminology and religious studies. He questioned and explored faith throughout his life, attending at different times in Baptist, Methodist and Anglican churches. In recent years he became a member of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers.

Publishing – The journalist and editor After taking early retirement from lecturing at the Law School in 1987, Ken got stuck into his subsidiary career in publishing. He’d become a member of the Chartered Institute of Journalists in 1964 and remained so for life.

He was keen to keep his hand in on the academic side, and continued to edit The International Review of Law, Computers and Technology journal until 2018. This journal

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brought him into contact with young academics around the world, many of whom personally thank him for his support and guidance.

Meanwhile, in 1958 he’d founded Russells News & Sport Agency. He was also the Midland Rugby Correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph, and was appointed Registrar of the Midlands players by the RFU when rugby turned professional. Not only that, Ken was the Hockey Correspondent for Birmingham Mercury and contributor to sports pages of the Birmingham Evening Post.

Here in Glenfield, he founded the community newspaper, the Glenfield Gazette, which he ran for 35 years until finally putting down his pen and retiring, at the young age of 90 in 2020. He was pleased to see The Gazette continue in the hands of an editor who shares his passion for community news. Not content with all that, Ken also wrote four history books on Glenfield which are still in demand.

Somehow in his spare time, he managed to find the opportunity to be the Glenfield Correspondent and column-writer for the Leicester Mercury.

Politics Ken joined the Labour party in 1945 and his first role was on the Brierley Hill Urban District Council in 1953. Councillor Russell was politically active in the 1950s nationally in the Labour party and even fought, unsuccessfully, two safe Conservative parliamentary seats in general elections – Edgbaston in 1955 and Shrewsbury in 1959.

He was also very active in the Trades Councils.

He left the Labour party in dismay when Jeremy Corbyn became leader. He spoke about why he originally joined. Years before the welfare state, Ken remembered seeing blind people selling matches on the street to earn money. The Labour Party housed them and helped them. Decades later, it still moved him to tears.

Incidentally, he thought Boris Johnson looked quite promising but then proved a bit of a disappointment!

Locally, Ken was on Glenfield Parish Council from the 1970s until standing down at the 2019 elections. Chairman in 1996 he served on just about every committee at some point. It could be turbulent with some heated disagreements with councillors of different political and personal opinions. He was even reported to Special Branch for alleged election irregularities by disgruntled rivals, but swiftly exonerated!

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Regardless of others’ political views, Ken had a strong sense of public service and respected those who worked for the community: “It’s a privilege to serve”, he’d say.

A man of many interests One of the things that kept him young was Ken’s wide range of interests. From the cultural refinements of theatre and ballet, to soap operas and fish & chips, he had a restless curiosity for the world around him. In his mid-80s he suddenly started writing his first novel, a wartime thriller, set on the south coast.

He had very definite opinions on current affairs, especially politics. Mentioning Donald Trump always got a reaction from him (and not a positive one!). He devoured the daily newspapers which he somehow never got round to clearing up, to wife Nichola’s exasperation.

A rugby player and cyclist in his younger years, he continued to follow the sports. He had season tickets for Leicester Tigers rugby team until quite recently. Formula 1 racing also caught his interest and he followed Lewis Hamilton’s success from his rookie season with boyish excitement.

Ken was also a Freemason for over 50 years. He valued the friendships made over the years and he appreciated how lodge members have looked out for Nichola and Toby.

Helping out Ken lived out his belief that you should help others. Supporting charities was important to him, but he also gave his time, advice and guidance with great generosity to many individuals who needed help over the years.

It was right to help out where he could. So he did. From helping children get school places to writing to prisoners on Death Row to being a founding member of Victim Support charity in Leicester, it was done without any sense of his own ego.

Holidays Ken was renowned for his appetite for travel.

There were travels behind the Iron Curtain to Yugoslavia with first wife Doreen and his young family, and many trips to Las Vegas & USA in his teaching career. He also made many journeys as a single man – India, Sweden, Guatemala, Romania, rode the Trans-

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Siberian Railway Moscow to Peking, sailed the Atlantic on the QE2, and made cultural exchange visits to Tahiti, and many more.

With Nichola, and later Toby too, he got to Mexico, Jamaica, Damascus, Beruit and other places now sadly out of reach, much of Europe, Croatia, Canada, Jersey, Belfast, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Cuba, and the Shetlands.

There were doses of culture with city breaks – Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Madrid, Lisbon, Dublin, New York and others. Reykjavik in Iceland was a memorable stay; when Toby came out with chicken pox, 5 days became nearly two weeks!

Doing it his way Mr Russell had his own inimitable way of doing things.

Ken could be a forceful character, occasionally prickly but always with charm and humanity. He was moved by others’ suffering, and, importantly would actually do something where he could.

He spoke out against injustice and didn’t shy away from difficult subjects. I remember that he would include articles in his beloved Glenfield Gazette calling out locals who had crossed the line of decency.

Ken firmly believed that while rules are perhaps not meant to be broken, they are certainly there to be – shall we say - interpreted. A genuinely creative and original thinker, he could find ways through most challenges. An early example was getting into the RAF for National Service instead of being sent to the army, and ensuring that Toby could have his own tree quietly planted in Bradgate Park a more recent one. Naturally, there’s quite a story behind all of these.

He experienced adversity in life, but wisely understood he should move on. When he saw an opportunity, he took it and always said “Regret is a pointless emotion”.

Leaving a Legacy We leave a legacy in our friends and loved ones. Ken also left a large body of written work and many other tangible testaments to his life. And not just the village and family memorabilia and 30 years of Glenfield photographs filling the garage.

Take a look, for example, at the village signs for Glenfield - on the yellow banners at the bottom you will see the smartwater project sponsored by the Glenfield Gazette. Then there’s the old railway line. It was crumbling and disappearing when Ken helped get it 6

repaired and designated as a public footpath. Now part of the Ivanhoe Trail, it is a walkway enjoyed by the whole community.

Farewell Husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, colleague and friend; Ken, we will miss you.

There is more we could say about Ken. Maybe that he was an acclaimed chocolatelover and ate it in astonishing quantities. Or that he never liked throwing anything away!

But we’ll give the last words to the man himself.

Mulling over some of his achievements in his last summer, he said in satisfaction: “Not bad for a lamp-lighter’s son”.

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