Tony Lancaster's funeral was held at St Andrews Church on Thursday March 2nd. The following is a selection of memories and tributes to Walberswick's 'Bird Man', kindly shared by Pat, his widow.
TONY (ANTHONY ANDERSON KELLY) LANCASTER
Tony was born in Elgin, Moray on 21st July 1941. His full name is explained as: Anthony was after Anthony Eden and Anderson and Kelly were the names of the two doctors who delivered him, but in Walberswick he was known as “The Bird Man”. Tony's father worked as ground crew for 633 squadron and it was said that he was "bounced on Barnes Wallace's knee". His educational years were spread throughout the country and he found birding at a very early age while his step-father was farming. He left home and went to work at Aldermaston, training to be a Chemist. However in the mid-60s, the lure of computers meant that he soon transferred his allegiances and went to work at Unilever, and was part of a group of lads in a flat in West Hampstead. His night shift duties were varied according to whether there was some sporting feature on the TV. A testament to the fact that he cherished friendship is that two of his work colleagues from that time Ken and Dave attended his funeral. He made friends and kept them as is also evident from the fact that his next job was working at LE (London Electricity) where he met Jules, Sonji, Patti and Doug and others who have all visited Walberswick regularly and also were at the funeral.
He and Pat met in 1969 in West Hampstead, where their relationship blossomed and in time they moved in to a joint flat in St Johns Wood. These were the 60s and 70s and an interesting (and exciting) time was had by all. Although Tony had temporarily forsaken birding in favour of “girls” after “dipping” on an albatross off Cape Clear, he and Pat had a mutual interest in nature and birds and this gave them a “mission” to see every Bee-eater in the world. This took them to places you might not consider as holiday destinations. They recently completed their mission and would have been starting on Sandgrouse.
Tony first came to Walberswick in the 50s, and bought their house here in 1980/81. So began their love of the village and its special people.
An accolade from his friend Jules: Tony, my dear friend, thank you for being you – kind, generous, knowledgeable, funny, great company. I love you and your extraordinary eyes and smile will always have a cherished place in my heart. I feel so privileged to have known you and shared fine moments with you. If there’s a beyond, I’ll see you there for a few heavenly beers, mate. If not, f………it, we did the important stuff.
Reminiscences of Tony - Kieran Grace
I first met Tony almost 40 years ago on my first visit to the famous bird observatory on Cape Clear Bird Observatory on Cape Clear island in Co Cork. Tony was a link to the early days of the Observatory in the 1960’s and his stories of those early years were both fascinating and inspirational to a young birder like me.
Tony was a methodical, patient and thorough birder who taught many of today's Irish birders, including myself, how to seek out rare birds, even in the most unpromising circumstances. These traits, allied to his quiet and generous nature, his timely words of wisdom and his gentility, all endeared him to me even at that early stage and persisted throughout our long friendship. The fact that we both shared an interest in Irish whiskey was not irrelevant either.
While Tony was originally associated with Cape Clear, he always yearned to go to an island where he could bird and find his own rarities. So when I tried to convince him to leave Cape Clear and come share the dream with me on Dursey Island and Garnish in 1986, further up the Co Cork coast, he jumped at the opportunity.
And with that small leap, he found his true birding home in Ireland, where we spent the next 30 years tramping over 12 miles a day in rough, rugged terrain, surrounded by spectacular seascapes, through feast and famine for birds, but never disappointed. After his retirement, he flirted with a 10 year association with Tory Island in Co Donegal each autumn, but he always headed south to his beloved Dursey afterwards.
It was on Dursey Island and Garnish that Tony found a very impressive list of rare migrant birds, some of which had not been recorded in Ireland before and many Irish birders owe their sighting of these birds to Tony. Mind you, his patience and calmness sometimes went missing when birding! I suspect most people present today have never experienced Tony in full “Usain-Bolt like” flight.
The first time I experienced this was on Cape Clear in October 1979 when, on a quiet day, we were in the kitchen in the Observatory making a gigantic omelette when someone noticed Tony running down the harbour towards us. Never having seen this before, we all stopped and wondered what was happening.
Tony burst through the door, breathless: he then told us he had just found Ireland's second Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a rare American bird. Cue pandemonium, with two of us getting stuck in the door in attempting to get out!
After we had gone, like a responsible adult amongst a group of children, Tony turned off the cooker and followed us out the door at a more normal pace.
It is nice to think that last September, in Garnish, Tony found another Rose-breasted Grosbeak for a new generation of younger Irish birders.
The second time I saw Tony in full flight was when he came hurtling down a steep slope on Dursey in October 1991, shouting that he had just seen an albatross passing by. This was all the more memorable and special for Tony as he had given up birding in 1963 for nearly 12 years after missing out on an albatross on Cape Clear.
What many here in England may not know is that Tony often allowed his inner child to come out on his birding trips to Ireland. One of our friends in Garinish, Anne McNally, celebrates her birthday in October and Tony took great delight in planning tricks on her big day each year.
For example, one year her car was filled up with balloons so that when she rushed out to go to work next day, she had to burst all them before she could head off. Another time, we turned her car around overnight: next morning, she jumped into the back seat, wondering where the steering wheel had gone.
After a day’s birding in Ireland, Tony liked nothing more than to be surrounded by friends with a drink in his hand, and, in the words of an old Italian saying, he would “sit long, talk much and laugh often”.
The overwhelming view of Tony from Irish birders who have contacted me in the last few days is of a very generous and kind gentleman who made a huge contribution to Irish birding and who will be sadly missed.
Dursey Island and Garnish will not be the same without Tony. However, I know that his presence will always be there and that wherever Tony has migrated to, I hope he will be having a wee dram while planning what rare birds to send to Ireland each autumn.
Brian Tibbles
Tony and Pat went birding all over the world, but he was always ready with advice when people found unusual birds in the area. He would listen attentively and give extensive information on the species.
Tony took over the annual Bird Song Walk from David Sherreff, which was very popular with both residents and visitors, and he introduced the 'After Walk Breakfast' at The Anchor. I think he enjoyed the walk more when Lucy Delaney was his scribe.
As a keen photographer, Tony recorded many village events over the years, and on a personal note, he presented us with beautiful family albums of our own family celebrations.
Annually we have a Kipper and Talisker breakfast for 20 or so people at my hut down by the river. Being a whiskey man Tony was always the first to put up his hand and say "I'll bring the Talisker!"
Tony loved to socialise, and on sunny (and sometimes not so sunny) days he would take a bottle of fizz, and go down to Tony and Janet's house near The Bell, asking if Janet would come out to play. They would then either sit on the wall or Tony's lawn, otherwise known as The Village Green.
On behalf of his drinking buddies, Frank, Wisk and myself, we were honoured to bring Tony into the church today. We loved outings to local beer festivals, and on weekdays enjoyed our Four o'clock Club, which involved a couple of beers and putting the world to rights. On one occasion Tony stated "There's no fun up there, I want to go down below with Wally and David, and enjoy a few beers!"
Tony was very kindly assisting the Common Lands Charity to identify a suitable site for a bird hide on charity land. He selected a location overlooking the Town Marshes, and quotations for a hide are currently being obtained. The plan is that the hide will be dedicated to his memory, so alongside 'Wally's Bridge' and 'David's Tree' the village will have 'Tony's Hide'.
And finally - when Nicky and I stood at the door as Tony was being taken away, an owl passed and called, we both knew he had 'gone birding'.
Illustration by Bill Ungless
Revd Canon Harry Edwards
I first got to know Tony and Pat in 2004 when they were part of a large group from Walberswick who travelled to James Webb’s wedding in Chiang Mai in Thailand. A legendary time was had by all…. drinking the hotel dry of beer on two nights running! And then more recently (having moved back to Walberswick), sharing the Local’s Table in The Anchor on a Sunday lunchtime, and occasionally joining the Four O'clock Club.
Tony was not a ‘religious’ person in the strict sense of that word, but I believe that he was a deeply ‘spiritual’ person. He was someone who daily walked and communed with nature – the wildlife, the birdsong, noticing the varieties of light and shade…someone close to the ‘mystery’ of things, of that whole existential cycle of birth and life and death which underpins the beauty and changeability of the created world.
He was a gentle person who worked for the good of all things and all creatures.
May he rest in the fullness of that abundant life, held in the cradle of that love which he witnessed to in his own lifetime.
Rest in peace, old friend.
Amen.
And lastly:
WALBERSWICK BIRD SONG WALK - 2017
This year’s Bird Song Walk will take place on Saturday 6th May 2017. Pat Lancaster will do her best to lead the walk as a tribute to Tony. Please meet at 5.30am in the Hoist Covert Car Park. Contributions will now be donated to the Walberswick Bird Hide Project.
Breakfast at the Anchor Hotel
A hearty breakfast or an early brunch after the walk has proved to be a fitting and most enjoyable end to the morning’s endeavours. Those who wish to partake this year should make reservations direct with the Anchor Hotel (722112) prior to Walk Day.
Pat Lancaster (for Tony)