BRIAN WALKER - A TRIBUTE

We are sad to report the passing of Brian Walker in May of this year. Almost everyone who ever received a Christmas card from Alex Moulton will have seen some of Brian’s exceptional artwork, and anyone fortunate enough to receive any correspondence from Brian himself will have been struck by his beautiful copperplate handwriting. Brian played a big part in the Moulton story, and his detailed pen-and-ink illustrations recorded many of Alex’s achievements over the years. He will be sadly missed.

Brian Walker was born on 22 March 1926 and died on 15th May 2020 having spent most of his life in Somerset.  In childhood he lived in Hursley Hill near Bristol and Simonsbath on Exmoor. His mother died when he was 17 but she had recognised his gift for drawing and painting and arranged for him to study to gain an art education.  He was also encouraged by Sir Alfred Munnings (the President of the Royal Academy of Art). After his mother died he lived with his father back in Chew Magna where his parents had been married and his mother had been buried.  After service in the RAF he finished his diploma and gained a Punch scholarship.

He used to cycle to London to the Punch offices – because he couldn’t afford the train fare.   His dogged determination and cycling experiences in France after the war gave him the material for illustrated articles, which to his surprise were accepted by Cycling magazine; and so started his professional career.  This included regular work for the Farmer’s Weekly.  He contributed to the Countryman magazine both as a writer and an illustrator for over 50 years.

Brian married Rosemary (Mo) in 1961.  Alex Moulton got in touch with Brian having seen his illustrations in Cycling Magazine.  Both Brian and Rosemary took place in early trials of the prototype bike and Alex asked them to take the Moulton Safari prototypes to Iceland in 1962.  This adventure was written up for Cycling magazine by Brian as ‘Land of Wind and Fury’.

From 1964 until 2008 - an incredible 45 years - Brian would travel to Bradford on Avon every year to do the illustration for the Moulton Christmas Card.  These beautifully drawn cards would often depict local scenes, notable Moulton achievements and, in later years, Toby the cat.  There were other illustrations too, most of which still hang on the walls of the staircase at The Hall.  Brian also produced the illustrated letterhead for the Moulton Safari Club.  Brian’s talents extended further; he contributed many ideas for bags and accessories as well as testing the bike itself.

Away from the cycling world Brian played tuba in the original Chew Valley Jazz Band with Acker Bilk, and in 1966 he played the tuba on the first album by Adge Cutler and the Wurzels.

In 1969 he started his ‘Letter from England’ in the American Bicycling magazine and visitors started arriving to see the place he wrote so passionately about.  That place was Hinton Blewett.  He had found the village while cycling round the Chew Valley and decided he would like to live there, first renting the cottage at the western end of the house with its outside toilet. He went on to buy the derelict cottages in the rest of the row, which were slowly restored as and when money would allow. He worked at home in his studio throughout his working life.

He illustrated in many magazines and books. One of the books he illustrated, in 1967 led to him being approached by the children’s comic publishers.  He became a regular contributor for almost the rest of his working life – Dandy, Beano, Sparky, Whizzer and Chips, Shiver and Shake, Buster and later he did some work for Viz.

He enjoyed listening to a wide range of music and was an avid reader. Dickens was a particular favourite.  In an article in 1999 Brian described that earning a living as a professional artist had required a long and arduous training and a complete absence of common sense. He wrote that ‘ If you are married to a patient, loving and sensible wife that is an advantage’. He wrote later that the best thing he ever did was moving to Hinton Blewett and marrying Rosemary.

Church Cottage was his place of work, a wonderful home and a place to welcome friends and family from around the world, including Iceland and America. There was always a roaring fire, a comfortable chair, cider, bread and cheese and a host of funny stories to enjoy. 

In response to his death the memories flooded in – from one of the village ‘kids’ – Brian teaching him to ride a tandem, draw and build an igloo and from a fellow villager - his beautiful writing in the Parish Meeting book.  He lectured for a while and former students described him as ‘a legend and a guru’.  An American friend wrote that ‘Brian was one of the nicest people I’ve known and as long as my memory still works, he will always be one of my best memories’. Sadly Brian’s own memories were progressively taken from him by Alzheimer’s Dementia. He suffered without diagnosis for many years until 2012 and by 2016 he needed full time professional care.

With many thanks to Jo Burgess (Brian’s daughter) for providing much of the above text.

More sketches of Brian and Rosemary’s adventure in Iceland in 1962.

Alex Moulton and Brian Walker at the Westbury White Horse.

Brian Walker (nearest to camera).

One of Brian Walker’s sketches of his trip to Iceland with his wife Rosemary on prototype Moulton bicycles.

Brian Walker with Mk7b Prototype Moulton Bicycle.