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Jim Lagden |
Museum campaigner who contributed to the brighter side of life
A Tribune obituary paid tribute to canals campaigner Jim Lagden last week. Here, Islington historian Mary Cosh adds her memories of Jim.
JIM Lagden’s sudden and totally unexpected death represents a great loss for Islington, widening further still the sad gap caused by the deaths of people who have greatly contributed to its culture and amenities.
In just a year we have been saddened by the loss of Peter Powell, Michael Marland and more recently Lisa Pontecorvo.
Jim was a man of wide-ranging enterprise. In addition to his work for Angel Canal Festival, for some 24 years he worked devotedly towards the creation and setting up of a museum for Islington.
He launched Friends of the Museum, became a trustee and produced a newsletter. More than one person has remarked that had it not been for him we might be struggling for a museum still.
With his death, we have lost a great deal of valuable information and recollection about the campaign’s history over nearly a quarter of a century. Few people could so well recall the campaign’s complicated events and the many people who have worked towards it.
Among his many interests were the byways of Islington’s history. He often composed short historical pieces to circulate in his Friends’ newsletter, which he produced single-handed.
His productions for the original small museum in Upper Street included an invaluable series of historical maps, which he called Time-Line, illuminating Islington’s evolution over the centuries.
He was someone who never gave up. He suffered the loss of his wife Jacqui, who after a long bout of cancer died two years ago. Missing her support, he then endured the loss of his sight, when he was found to have glaucoma. Even when he was almost totally blind he soldiered on with the care of his loved and loving guide dog Flint.
Though recently Jim announced to his fellow friends of the Museum that he was proposing to step down after so many years of devoted labour, as things turned out he was still very much active for us when he so unexpectedly died.
Jim left problems, however. Friends will be glad to know that his dog Flint, who must miss him very much, was at once taken into appropriate care and will be given a new home. But Jim had no family or relations in Britain, and unfortunately has left no will, which causes difficulties about a funeral, not to mention the disposal of what must be his large collection of papers and the vast information on his computer, which despite his blindness he was able to continue to use for his work.
Jim is well remembered for his lengthy telephone calls, his bursts of enthusiasm contrasting with times of gloom and despondency – but mainly for his unending contribution to the brighter side of Islington’s life. Long will he be in our hearts. |
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