Sadly, we have to report the death, on 16th January, of Harold Grace (aged 81 years). Harold was born in Quainton and lived there all his life. He leaves a widow and a son, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.

Harold Grace had been a member of our Society for many years and, like his friend Harry Hammond, who died last year, started work as a young man on the railway in 1915 (as a lamp boy), trimming the wicks and filling the lamps with paraffin. The old lamp room used by Harold is now our telephone exchange. He duly worked his way up the promotion ladder to porter, then booking porter. For a time he was transferred to Waddesdon Manor and then to Winslow Road (where the grid sub-station now stands), where he was signalman and crossing keeper. After that he was relief porter, when required, at Harrow, Chesham, Verney Junction and Brill, until he left the railway in 1923 to join his father in the building trade.

Harold was fond of telling the story of his father riding to Bicester on a penny farthing bicycle, to start work at 6 am as an apprentice. When he finished his apprenticeship, he walked to Windsor and found himself a job in Windsor Castle. He was obviously a good builder and was awarded the contract for building the Crowhurst railway viaduct in Sussex (since demolished). The Graces built more than two dozen buildings in Quainton and Harold finished his career as a Clerk of Works for the Rural District Council, concerned mainly with waterways in the Vale.

(This obituary was prepared by Roddie - Ed)

Notes:
The text in this Quainton Railway Society publication was written in 1981 and so does not reflect events in the 33+ years since publication. The text and photographs are repeated verbatim from the original publication, with only a few minor grammar changes but some clarifying notes are added if deemed necessary. The photos from the original publication are provided as scans in this internet version of this long out of print publication.

Reference:
Harold Charles Grace - Quainton News No. 43 - Spring 1981