Reg Hewitt

Reginald Hewitt, known as Reg, died on 18 December, in a care home. He was a well known character in the village and in later years was often to be seen sitting on the bench near the SPAR and always wearing his distinctive flat cap. He was also a regular participant at OPAL (Older People Active Lives) and enjoyed their outings. He lived all his life in and around the village. He never married and his only sister died before him. He worked for the Local Council.

Reg was one of the founder members of Tattenhall Wildlife Group (TWiG). He brought with him a life-long and enduring interest in the natural world and he was always keen to support the Group both in its practical conservation work and also in attending the regular meetings which were held at the Barbour Institute.

He was a real countryman at heart. Growing up in Burwardsley, he was a member of Cheshire Wildlife Trust and worked on a voluntary basis for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. Hedge laying, tree planting and a variety of other conservation skills were his forte and he supplied TWiG with not only practical advice but provided a multitude of stories about local wildlife and how things were changing as a result of habitat loss. It was Reg who lamented the virtual disappearance of Kingfishers that could (at one time) regularly be seen along the Mill Brook, or of hedgehogs that had been frequent visitors to his back garden. He also enthused at the sightings of adders on Bickerton Hill.

Reg will not be forgotten – in 2012 he was asked by TWiG to plant the 'Balmoral Oak' in the heart of what has become Jubilee Wood and as the woodland matures his legacy will always be with us. On a personal note – one of the above photographs is a treasured archive where Reg is in deep discussion about the countryside with William Hull (son of the Chair of TWiG) at Glebe Meadow – a fitting tribute indeed (click on images to enlarge).