Tribute to Andy Read, 1968 - 2020

Andy was a doer - he'd always say 'this is doable', 'let's do this', 'this is how I think this should be done'.

His knowledge of agency wires was encyclopaedic and, as a journalist turned business analyst, I admired this knowledge a lot. I remember talking to him about the Russian and Ukrainian news feeds that the World Service subscribes to. These wires are in Cyrillic and, at the time of our conversation, which took place in Café Nero in Old Broadcasting House over some very strong coffee, ingesting non-Latin news feeds in the BBC's newsroom system was a daunting task.

But for Andy it was doable.

Moreover, beyond the technical points involved in making the undoable doable, Andy was perhaps the only person in BBC Design & Engineering interested in the fine points of world history illustrated by the codes of those Cyrillic wires: TASS, for example, founded soon after the Bolshevik Revolution, was an acronym for the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (Sovetsky Soyuz). After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Yeltsin had it renamed ITAR - Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. But Putin returned the agency to its historical TASS name, more evocative of the former power of the Soviets. Decades of history were distilled in those Cyrillic wire codes and Andy had the intellectual curiosity to dig into this history and the generosity to share his finds. 

His kindness and generosity always went way beyond any expectation.

I, and all my family, were so sad to hear about Andy’s untimely death. To hear of his passing was  a great shock and it is so difficult to think of his Wife Sara (who I have sadly never met)  and his Mum Margaret and Brother Ian who I did know many, many moons ago.  

I hope it is ok for me to share some memories here on behalf of my family and  also others who were friends with Andy at school and who I have been in touch with since hearing the news. We all send our sincerest condolences.

Andy was a dear friend through teenage years at Stapylton School. I spent a lot of time with Andy walking his neighbours rather old and cantankerous black Labrador “Mutley.”  Mutley was not only rather overweight but also a very slow dog to walk due to his desire to ‘visit’ every lamppost en route.  Andy, ever patient, would ensure he got the exercise he needed every day no matter what the weather threw at him or how long it took.

We were walking Mutley with my young dog “Trouble” after school one evening when she ran out into the road and was hit by a car and killed outright. I was about fifteen at the time, in shock and panic and we were a good couple of miles walk from home. Andy picked up “Trouble” (who was not a small dog) and carried her carefully home for me, somehow keeping me calm and focussed on that dreadful walk. He helped me tell my family what had happened and we will never forgot his kindness and thoughtfulness on that day and on may other occasions.

Others remember Andy’s love of the Rubik’s cube and “Dungeons and Dragons.”  His ability to focus on a challenge to find a solution seems to have continued to play a big role in his subsequent career and his patience and encouragement of others, a continuing thread.

From reading other Tributes it is very clear that Andy became the man that he promised to be way back then – kind, patient, caring and honest.

Finally, Andy gifted me something I have always cherished, and that it my love of “Queen.”    In tribute Andy  I  leave the last word to them ….

“A hand above the water
An angel reaching for the sky
Is it raining in heaven
Do you want us to cry?
And everywhere the broken-hearted
On every lonely avenue
No-one could reach them
No-one but you”

From "No One But You (Only the Good Die Young"
Songwriter - Brian May

From Helen Davison and the Davison Family and friends from Stapylton School