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Ray Adamson |
Former mayor Ray Adamson dies, aged 81
TRIBUTES have been paid to the former Mayor of Camden, Ray Adamson, who died on Tuesday morning – one day after his 81th birthday.
Mr Adamson, a Labour councillor in the late 1990s, had worked as a photographer, and he persisted with his work even when his eyesight began to fail.
Winning awards for his pictures, Mr Adamson took photographs for Camden Council’s housing department and had several contributions published in the New Journal.
He was registered blind and was aided by a dog by the time he was sworn in as mayor at the Town Hall in 1997 but he did not let it stop him from carrying out his civic duties and was rarely seen without a warm smile. Friends said becoming mayor was one of his proudest moments.
His beloved dog became a loyal companion who people across the borough greeted like a close friend.
Mr Adamson also worked for the Salvation Army in Chalk Farm and Somers Town.
Despite problems with his vision and later mobility, Mr Adamson stayed in his council flat in Waxham, Mansfield Road, Gospel Oak, for as long as he could and often contributed to debates in the letters pages of the New Journal, standing up for the rights of the elderly and disabled. He would dictate his views to reporters over the phone. He had recently moved to the Ashcroft Care Centre in Lady Margaret Road, Kentish Town.
John Mills, the former Labour councillor, said: “Ray had a heart of gold and would help anyone he could. A nice man, he could however be a maverick and was not afraid to disagree with you. You need that in the party: you need the people who will say no when there is a difficult decision – and you need people who will remind you how decisions affect everybody. He was a man of the people.”
Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Marshall said: “It is very sad news. I remember Ray as being somebody who regardless of what party you were in was always friendly and asked you how you were.”
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Your comments:
I GOT to know Ray in 97 when he became Mayor, he would not use the offical car, instead using the local mini cab company for which i worked. Fond memories turning up at offial functions with the dog standing in the back of my Sierra Estate.
A true gent...
RIP...
Ian
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