Bob Symes Final Memories
Bob Symes Final Memories
"In his own words as he wished it to be".
In this film we discover "pages" of Bob's life. The ones he found interesting and which raised a smile with him as he recalled the events.
All linked of course with a railway story and filmed at his home in May 2010, Bob starts by talking about his early life in Austria and of the effects the Second World War
had on him. His arrival in the Middle East, the development of his Navy career and his on-going love of railways. After the war finished Bob left the navy and came to Britain in search of work. He started looking into medicine, but quickly realised it was a costly business and he openly admits he didn't have the money to see himself through medical school. By this time (late 1946) he had meet a lady who worked for the BBC and anyone that knows Bob knows the rest of this story. The lady's name was Monica, they were married within 6 weeks of meeting and stayed together for the next 50 years.
Bob's broadcasting journey started out as a Studio Manager at Bush House in London. During his long career he moved across from radio to television, working on the "Man Alive" and "Tommorrow's World" TV programmes. This also gave him the chance to develop his love of railway programmes and he made many during his long life. As anyone who knew Bob and there were many during his 90 years with us will tell you, his real true love was that of railways.
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was one of his passions, indeed in his later life he built his own GWR line at his home in Surrey and called it Green Dene (Works) Railway.
Now he has departed this world maybe he is running another GWR, this time of course I refer to God's Wonderful Railway. Words by Richard Ford.