On behalf of Drayton Civic Society, Mike Higgins writes: We have been asked to write a few words about Ian Picton-Robinson and his involvement with Market Drayton Museum and Resource Centre. Ian sadly died in September of last year.
Ian first came to the museum to catalogue a collection of documents and memorabilia collected by Francesca Upton, following the closure of Gower and Sons, a local manufacturer of agricultural tools and equipment in Stafford Street.
This he extended to completing the cataloguing of the Museum Archives generally (nearly 10,000 items).
For the next twelve years he was not only committed to the Museum and the Society, but was also friendly, kind, and considerate to all who both worked in and visited the building.
On behalf of the Museum, he welcomed items from a succession of donors. There are many people, including parties of schoolchildren and former Draytonians, who can attest to his friendliness, kindness and enthusiasm as well as lively conversation about what they saw. In fact, a visit by two clandestine assessors from The Heritage Lottery Fund (one of the Museum’s sponsors) led to him being publicly praised for just that.
He will be greatly missed, and very, very difficult to replace.
Ian’s family have asked that any donations in Ian’s memory are made to the Market Drayton Museum and Resource Centre.
