14 Council Reports Roy (Lofty) Tolhurst Well-known local figure, Roy (Lofty) Tolhurst, has died, aged 79. At six feet seven, or just over two metres, he was hard to miss. He was a true gentleman, unfailingly kind and extraordinarily talented. He seemed to be able to turn his hand to anything, and master it. Before his retirement, as a motor engineer, he kept large numbers of Mile End’s and neighbouring communities’ vehicles on the road and in good condition. He was known for his fair dealing. For a long time he was interested in restoring classic vehicles. He was especially proud of a photograph taken when he won ‘Best in Show’, (out of hundreds of other Minis) for his restored Mini-Cooper. Many residents will recall the wartime ambulance (an Austin K2, identical to the one in the film Ice Cold in Alex, starring John Mills and Sylvia Sims) he restored from rusting wreckage to pristine condition. His death took place a few days before his customary annual visit to Oosterbeek in the Netherlands to take part in the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. Every year he attended the annual service at the Arnhem Osterbeek War Cemetery for glider pilots. He always occupied the same place, which became known by Dutch and British alike as Lofty’s Spot. He made good friends in the Oosterbeek area, notably Paul and Esther Hendricks, who own and manage the Glider Museum in nearby Wolfheze. His commitment to Oosterbeek and the Cemetery began when he took the ambulance to The Netherlands in September 1994, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the battle.
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