The obituary notice of Brian TRENGOVE

BRIAN TRENGOVE – A Long Life in Brief
PART 3
Funeral Address at the Cremation Service in the East Chapel, Croydon Crematorium on Friday 7th December 2018

Phyllis, Brian’s wife died in 2006. He coped with this by getting more adventurous with his holiday destinations, reaching as far as Egypt on a Nile cruise. Always an active man, he did not always manage well the ill-health that beset him in the last two years of his life, but remained set on living in his beloved home on Shirley Hills to the bitter end.

Brian died in Croydon University Hospital on 16th November, at peace, with members of his family at his bedside. His ashes will be interred in the family plot in Bandon Hill Cemetery, where lie the remains of his grandfather and grandmother, and ashes of his wife Phyllis. May he rest in peace.

BRIAN TRENGOVE – A Long Life in Brief
Part 3
Funeral Address at the Cremation Service in the East Chapel, Croydon Crematorium on Friday 7th December 2018
The shop became a well-known landmark, with notable persons, such as the singer Des O’Connor and comedian Ronnie Barker dropping in to make purchases. As Brian’s business developed, he diversified. He created a separate company to carry out probate valuations and was a popular speaker for paid lectures about the antiques trade and porcelain, his speciality. His mother died in January 1991, and Brian continued as a sole trader until 1998, selling the famous shop to a musical instruments business, a fitting successor. For a while he moved the business to a small premises in Warlingham, finally retiring, aged 73, in 2000. His love of the antiques trade did not diminish after retirement, however. He was still keen on the occasional deal, and a frequent visitor at the sale rooms with his antique dealer friend Gill Coe.

The antiques trade was always his passion, but he found time for annual holidays in Cornwall and Madeira, and motoring holidays around Western Europe. He greatly enjoyed his Easter breaks to Cornwall, in the company of his son Mark and his wife Louise, and grandsons Oliver, Jacob and Tobias. Aside from a firm taste for Werther’s Originals, his other passion from 1964 was for Croydon Rotary Club, as it had been for his father and grandfather before him. He served for many years as the Benevolent Chairman, arranging the charitable activities of the club. He was always on-hand as a stand-in speaker in emergencies. He was very proud to be one of the club’s longest serving members, receiving the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.

BRIAN TRENGOVE – A Long Life in Brief
Part 2
Funeral Address at the Cremation Service in the East Chapel, Croydon Crematorium on Friday 7th December 2018

The socialising continued in Croydon, as it had in Cornwall. There are many photos of Brian out enjoying himself with his close-knit circle of friends. He was famous for his bonhomie and quick wit. One of these friends was a young lady called Phyllis Palmer, from Streatham, who particularly caught his eye. Brian proved hard to pin down, and Phyllis had to resort to laying plans to emigrate to Canada to encourage him to pop the question. They were married in Croydon Registry Office in November 1955. Mark, their only child, came along in June 1957.

Herbert, Brian’s father, had been in poor health for some time. He died in January 1958, leaving his business to his wife Phyllis, with Brian as manager. They formed a partnership in 1960. The antiques business went from strength to strength, despite their eviction from 88 High Street in 1961 under a compulsory purchase order, to make way for the Croydon fly-over. The business was moved to 46, South End. The front part of these premises had been built in Tudor times, justifying Brian’s claim that it was ‘the oldest shop in Croydon’.

BRIAN TRENGOVE – A Long Life in Brief
PART 1
Funeral Address at the Cremation Service in the East Chapel, Croydon Crematorium on Friday 7th December 2018

Brian was born in July 1927, the one and only child of Phyllis and Herbert Trengove, in Croydon – the town where he spent most of his life. His father was a well-known antiques dealer in the town, as had been his grandfather Arthur before him. Arthur had been born in Truro in Cornwall, and this county was to remain a very important place to Brian for his whole life. Early holidays were most likely taken there. He attended Whitgift School. His GCE Certificate shows he passed in all subjects, but, significantly, gained a credit in woodwork. He remained a practical man for all of his life.

During the war years, Brian was evacuated to Cornwall, living in St Ives with Florence Drew, a distant relative, who was headmistress of the primary school in the town. Away from the stresses of the war in London, it seems Brian had a wonderful time, with much freedom to roam under the benign care of Florence.

Brian was a little too young to be called up in the war years, but he was conscripted into the Royal Navy in 1945. Again he served his time in Cornwall, and again it seems he thoroughly enjoyed himself as a mechanic in the Fleet Air Arm. His love in those days was motor bikes, and he told many stories of his private jaunts on a Royal Navy motorbike, the tank full of Royal Navy petrol, to meet up with the local girls.

After his time in the Royal Navy, the world of civilian work beckoned. He joined his father in the antiques business in 1947, operating from their premises at 88, High Street, Croydon. He took to the trade like a duck to water, and the trade remained his passion for all of his life.

Where to start? Peter and I have known Brian for over 20 years. He was an antique dealer and so am I - obviously we had a lot in common. Brian used to take me to lunch at his favourite restaurant, Bagattis' in South End, Croydon near to his shop. This shop we frequented all the time. I would ask Peter to buy me a birthday present or Christmas present and Brian would always
come up trumps! Many times at lunch with Brian we would have some heated discussions regarding my enthusiasm for antiques and Brian would say 'It's only business - you are too enthusiastic!'. Brian was very proud of his son Mark and all his family, talking about them to me. His special pleasure was when the whole family went to Cornwall for the Easter break and stayed together. He was really happy at those times. We will miss Brian very much, even now I go to pick up the phone to check how he is and see if he would like me to pop round.
Rest in peace Brian, you will be sadly missed. Gill & Peter Coe x