Bob joined the Morrab Library over ten years ago, initially attracted to the Newspaper Archive held here. He wanted to carry out more of his War Memorial research and needed the old Cornishman archive to do so. David & Mike got chatting to Bob while he was down in the archive and soon enlisted him into their Thursday morning team; sorting and cataloguing the old newspapers. At the AGM last month, after being a committee member for a few years, Bob was elected as the new Chairman of the Morrab Library. So we thought we’d better introduce him…
Bob was born in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, in 1942, and was educated at St Andrew’s College Dublin and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He served with The Royal Ulster Rifles, later The Royal Irish Rangers, and after a full military career in various postings and appointments, retired in 1999.
Bob now lives in Paul with his wife, Sue (childhood and lifelong friend of Annabelle, our librarian). They have a daughter, who lives in Kenya, a son in Truro and five grandchildren to keep them occupied. Bob’s passion as a military historian also keeps him busy, and he’s presently updating and revising the Book of Remembrance for Penzance. In his youth, Bob was a keen sportsman, but unfortunately sustained a serious rugby injury while playing for his battalion. Keeping fit is now restricted to walking and gardening.
When he’s not being a Gardener / Military Historian / Chairman / Grandfather / Husband, Bob loves to escape into his study, put some music on, fix himself a Whisky, and settle down with a Lee Childs thriller (diverting) or an Anthony Beevor tome (serious).
Little known fact about Bob: He likes Meatloaf. The musician. (But probably also the meat dish – having been to boarding school and in the Army he‘ll eat anything!)