![[IMAGE]](hopcraftbarry.jpg)
Edward Barry Hopcraft
Born in Stepney, 29th August 1934
Evacuated, aged 5, on 3rd September 1939 to a vicarage in Ellington.
Suffered with his health all his life, and spent a lot of time in hospital as a child. He was always very proud that he had one of the very first NHS numbers, number 41.
About 10 when he was admitted to Huntingdon County Hospital, onto Cambridge and ultimately St Albans hospital. It was here that he was diagnosed with a tumour of his spine, and after a significant stay in hospital he was discharged in a wheelchair before regaining his mobility with the fight and stubbornness that was testimony to his life.
Later moved to a cottage in Ellington before moving to Spaldwick in 1948.
Barry worked at the Silent Factory with his good mate, Jim Bird, before going to work at RAF Molesworth in 1953, but it was not the RAF station of Molesworth where he was to spend almost his entire working life, this was to be RAF Brampton, where he worked in both the Sergeant's and Officer's messes for over 30 years.
Barry was best man at his mate's Wedding in March 1964, the marriage of Jim Bird and Janet Felce. It was here that Barry met and took a shine to the bride's elder sister, Marion, who he was to marry 5 years later, again in this church on 20th October 1969. They had 2 children, Geoffrey & Joanna, born in 1973 and 1974 respectively.
They set up home in Godmanchester, initially in a caravan park and then a bungalow. However it was in 1972 that they moved to 21 White Hart Lane, the place where they were both to spend the rest of their lives, and where they both peacefully said goodbye to this world within 6 months of each other.
Not working, he himself had two interests, fundraising and local radio. Dad was always willing to help others and was a founder member of Aid in Disablement, latterly to become Huntingdonshire Access Group, campaigning local councils and always fundraising to provide facilities such as the first loan wheelchair in Huntingdon, at the library.
Additionally - added by Barry's son Geoff.
As his mobility became more and more restricted, and other medical conditions deteriorated, the telephone and the radio became his major forms of communication. Phone-ins and quizzes to Radio Cambridgeshire became the norm, and Dad's bad jokes were soon belting across the airwaves of the county! It was the emergence of Huntingdon Community Radio, or Barry Community Radio as I prefer to call it, that gave him so much pleasure. He would ring every show, whether to make a request, enter a quiz or just have a chat. He even got his own lot giving horse racing tips, with mixed success, but as with everything he did, great humour!
There will be no better testament to Barry's memory that HCR getting a permanent licence, you can rest assured his fighting spirit lives on, hoping for that day!