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Obituary: Ronald Sturt
Ronald Sturt's obituary from the Guardian, February 2003.
The librarian Ronald Sturt, who has died aged 81, founded the first talking newspaper in Britain.
In 1968, while visiting Vasteras, in northern Sweden, to study public library services for disabled people, he found a tape recording of the local newspaper made for blind people. Back home in Aberystwyth, his enthusiastic talks about the experience drew the offer of financial support from the local Round Table if he would "do something about it."
So, with the support of the proprietors of the Cambrian News and the Cardigan & Tivyside Advertiser, Sturt launched the Cardiganshire talking newspaper on January 1 1970. Initially, the tapes went to 18 local blind people, but the idea was quickly taken up in neighbouring Montgomery (now Powys), and today it goes to some 250 "readers" in English or Welsh.
Through example, and Sturt's tireless evangelism, the idea spread to the whole of Britain. By 1974, there were sufficient local groups to form the Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom (TNAUK). Sturt was chairman, and later president, and retained a keen interest in the project until his death. TNAUK also developed a commercial venture, producing many daily newspapers and magazines in aural and machine-readable forms.
Sturt was born in Chobham, Surrey, and educated at Woking grammar school. In 1939, he began a career in accountancy, but this was interrupted by tuberculosis, and sanatorium life sparked a lifelong love of books and reading.
In 1947, he switched to librarianship, working in Surrey, Brighton and Westminster, before, in 1954, becoming regional librarian for mid-Hertfordshire, where he took books in to patients at the local psychiatric hospital. Later, he designed the first professionally run, integrated library service for hospital patients and staff, at the Queen Elizabeth II hospital in Welwyn Garden City.
In 1963, this initiative led to the formation of the Library Association's hospital libraries & handicapped readers' group. Sturt served on its standards committee, was chairman of the group and edited its quarterly periodical.
In 1964, he was headhunted to lecture at the College of Librarianship Wales (now the department of library and information studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth). By the time he departed in 1972, the college had 400 students and 40 teaching staff, and had acquired an international reputation as the largest library school in the UK.
Sturt himself moved on to the City of London Polytechnic (now London Guildhall University), first as chief librarian and, shortly afterwards, as assistant provost, the post he held until retirement in 1981. While in London, he made another important innovation by founding the National Bureau for Handicapped Students (now Skill) in 1975.
Sturt was affably benevolent, a devoted Methodist, a lively-minded man relaxed in manner and superbly organised. In 1990, when his second wife, Felicity, also a librarian, was mayor of Chelmsford, Essex, he was happy to attend official functions with her as "Mr Mayoress".
He is survived by Felicity, whom he married in 1961, their daughter and two sons, and the daughter of his first marriage.
· Ronald Ernest Sturt, librarian and pioneer of talking newspapers, born October 21 1921; died January 6 2003
The librarian Ronald Sturt, who has died aged 81, founded the first talking newspaper in Britain.
In 1968, while visiting Vasteras, in northern Sweden, to study public library services for disabled people, he found a tape recording of the local newspaper made for blind people. Back home in Aberystwyth, his enthusiastic talks about the experience drew the offer of financial support from the local Round Table if he would "do something about it."
So, with the support of the proprietors of the Cambrian News and the Cardigan & Tivyside Advertiser, Sturt launched the Cardiganshire talking newspaper on January 1 1970. Initially, the tapes went to 18 local blind people, but the idea was quickly taken up in neighbouring Montgomery (now Powys), and today it goes to some 250 "readers" in English or Welsh.
Through example, and Sturt's tireless evangelism, the idea spread to the whole of Britain. By 1974, there were sufficient local groups to form the Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom (TNAUK). Sturt was chairman, and later president, and retained a keen interest in the project until his death. TNAUK also developed a commercial venture, producing many daily newspapers and magazines in aural and machine-readable forms.
Sturt was born in Chobham, Surrey, and educated at Woking grammar school. In 1939, he began a career in accountancy, but this was interrupted by tuberculosis, and sanatorium life sparked a lifelong love of books and reading.
In 1947, he switched to librarianship, working in Surrey, Brighton and Westminster, before, in 1954, becoming regional librarian for mid-Hertfordshire, where he took books in to patients at the local psychiatric hospital. Later, he designed the first professionally run, integrated library service for hospital patients and staff, at the Queen Elizabeth II hospital in Welwyn Garden City.
In 1963, this initiative led to the formation of the Library Association's hospital libraries & handicapped readers' group. Sturt served on its standards committee, was chairman of the group and edited its quarterly periodical.
In 1964, he was headhunted to lecture at the College of Librarianship Wales (now the department of library and information studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth). By the time he departed in 1972, the college had 400 students and 40 teaching staff, and had acquired an international reputation as the largest library school in the UK.
Sturt himself moved on to the City of London Polytechnic (now London Guildhall University), first as chief librarian and, shortly afterwards, as assistant provost, the post he held until retirement in 1981. While in London, he made another important innovation by founding the National Bureau for Handicapped Students (now Skill) in 1975.
Sturt was affably benevolent, a devoted Methodist, a lively-minded man relaxed in manner and superbly organised. In 1990, when his second wife, Felicity, also a librarian, was mayor of Chelmsford, Essex, he was happy to attend official functions with her as "Mr Mayoress".
He is survived by Felicity, whom he married in 1961, their daughter and two sons, and the daughter of his first marriage.
· Ronald Ernest Sturt, librarian and pioneer of talking newspapers, born October 21 1921; died January 6 2003
Roll of Honour: Raymond Beeney
Major R. A. L. Beeney
Royal Engineers
225685
Died, 10 February 1943, Algeria. Aged 32.
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Raymond Arthur Lewis Beeney was born in Chobham, Surrey in 1911. He was the son of Captain Herbert Beeney (a council surveyor from Guildford) and Clara Beeney (nee White, from Weybridge). He had two older sisters (Dorothy and Eva). At the time of Raymond's birth the family were living at The Surveyors Office in Chobham.
Raymond Beeney and family in the 1911 census
At school Raymond was a keen cricketer representing the school many times and he was captain of East House. He also played for the school first XI at football and was noted as being ‘a very good tackler and sure kick with either foot’. In 1928 he passed the Higher School Certificate with Intermediate Science and Engineering certificates from London University. After leaving school Raymond graduated from London University in 1931 with a first class BSc. Hons in Engineering and became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Raymond received an emergency commission into the Royal Engineers as 2nd Lieutenant on 27 March 1942. He died on 10 February 1943, aged 32. At the time of his death Herbert and Clara were living in Southsea, Hampshire.
Raymond Beeney is buried in La Reunion War Cemetery, near Bejaia, Algeria (grave 5.A.14). He is also remembered on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking.
La Reunion Cemetery
(Copyright CWGC)
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Last updated 24 July 2010
Sources
1911 UK Census
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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