John Thackray Former Chairman and stalwart member of the New Forest Ramblers Group John Thackray passed away on 6 November, 2020. John Thackray was born in Stafford in 1936, the eldest son of Wilfred and Mary Thackray. His two brothers Arnold and George followed. His mother Mary had said she would like girls. The family moved to East Didsbury about three months after John s birth because Wilfred qualified as an accountant and the company he worked for said they couldn t afford to pay his increased salary. His mother had been a teacher before marrying Wilfred. Primary School education was at Beaver Road School, an easy distance from home. John must have enjoyed his days there because not a dozen years ago he tried to make contact with the boys and girls he knew there and managed to find some of them much to his delight.