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This is my paternal uncle Raymond Alan Crutchley, seen here enjoying a donkey ride at the seaside during one of the first few summers of the 1950's. The photograph was taken at Rhyl, North Wales, where the family owned a static caravan on the popular Lyons camp. Rhyl was a regular summer holiday destination for the Crutchley family throughout the 1950's, 60's and 70's.

Ray, as he was always known to us was born on 6th September 1950, the final of the five children of my grandparents Sidney and Ada Crutchley. Ray was born at the family home at 131 Coalpool Lane, Ryecroft, Walsall. At the time of Ray's birth his father was employed as a journeyman leather currier in Walsall's busy leather industry. During his lifetime Ray married twice and had three children, Jeanette and Anna through his first marriage and Stephen via his second.

For a period of time during the 1970's and 1980's he worked alongside my father, Sidney Crutchley, servicing heating and extraction systems at schools across the borough of Sandwell. Towards the end of his life he was employed has a hardware retail assistant in Bilston with the DIY chain B&Q.

My major memories of Ray centre on his artistic and creative talents, which frankly he never truly exploited for his own benefit. I recall the aircraft models that he made at home on Coalpool Lane, all painted with great skill and realistic accuracy. One particular favourite model of mine was a large scale McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom aircraft, which Ray eventually gave to me as a gift. On another occasion he drew the complete skeleton of a horse for me, in tremendous anatomical detail. Another favourite memory for me was the go kart that Ray constructed for me based on a set of wheels from an old pram. Unfortunately I managed to damage the kart on its first outing, but I repaired it and we still have it today.

Ray died at his Bilston home on 9th March 2019, aged 69.