The "Arthur Loyley" Letter

From: Mike Loyley
Sent: August 2014
Subject: Arthur Loyley

Dear Webby

My father, Arthur Loyley (1936 -1941) and a long standing member of COBA, passed away in the Royal Liverpool Hospital on the morning of Thursday 31st July. He had been unwell for some months, his increasing frailty leading to a series of falls. One such fall in early June made hospital tests on a minor head wound necessary and he never recovered.

I've taken the liberty of attaching a brief history of his life and the family, my mother, Dilys, sister Sue and brother David and I would be grateful if it could be included in the next 'Collegiate Times'

Mike Loyley (1964 - 1970)

A.Loyley (1936-1941) Obituary

Arthur Loyley was born in Liverpool, the second son of Gertrude and Albert. They lived in Bala Street in Anfield along with his elder brother, Fred, where they were soon joined by a younger brother, Brian. In their turn they all attended Anfield CP School. Arthur achieved a scholarship at Anfield and moved to The Liverpool Collegiate in 1936. He had many happy memories of life at the Collegiate along with some not so happy ones, including the closure of the school when war broke out and his evacuation, along with a large percentage of the pupils, to North Wales. In common with many Collegiate students, Arthur's time in North Wales was brief and when the school re-opened for the increasing number of returning pupils, he was waiting at the door. Arthur studied languages in particular and, surprisingly at the time, left the school speaking German and French. At the Collegiate, Arthur made friends whose comradeship he enjoyed all of his life.
After leaving he followed many of his contemporaries and joined Liverpool City Council's workforce, taking a position as “the lowliest teaboy” in Liverpool Education Authority's 14 Sir Thomas Street offices. He quickly mastered the art of flying up the ornate staircase surrounding the lift at the core of the building with a pot of steaming hot tea in his hands.

As the war continued, Arthur joined the Fleet Air Arm and spent time training predominantly in Robert Gordon's College in Edinburgh and Musselburgh before shipping out to Malta in the later stages of the conflict where he was responsible for erecting and maintaining radio transmitting masts, and the radio equipment in some aircraft, notable 'flying stringbags' , The Fairy Swordfish, and Mosquitoes.

Back in civilian life, he returned to 14 Sir Thomas Street where he was to spend the rest of his career rising through the Schools Section where he worked with the likes of CPR Clarke and Ken Antcliffe. He survived the political struggles in Liverpool in the early eighties and, in fact, his long service certificate, still hanging proudly at his home, is signed by one 'Derek Hatton'.

Following his retirement, Arthur and his wife Dilys spent much time traveling, often with his elder brother Fred and his wife Margaret, in Italy, back to Malta and in the USA where his daughter Susan lives with her family. The increasing poor health of his beloved wife, Dilys, brought an end to their travels but they spent many happy years together, enjoying the company of friends and family, his grandchildren and the increasing number of his great grandchildren.

My father passed away peacefully in the Royal Liverpool Hospital on Thursday 31 July 2014 at the grand age of 89. His loss will be deeply felt by all of his family and the many friends and colleagues who knew him and worked with him.

Mike Loyley (1964 - 1970)

Dear Mike

We decided to also include a copy of the above 'brief history' of your father in the Obituary section of the Site.  It can be viewed there, by clicking on this link or by going to the 'Memories Page' and then on to the 'Obituaries List':-

We assume that it will be in the "Collegiate Times", but thought that as that was some distance in the future, it would be appropriate to also publish it here, to give other members the opportunity to add their comments about a member that we're sure we would all have been privileged to meet.

Regards, Webby.