Robin Scriven - Norwich/Coltishall

[niknak]

I regret to inform you that Robin Scriven passed away suddenly yesterday afternoon.
Robin had worked as an ATCO at Norwich all his life, but also fullfilled the civi' ATCO tasks at Coltishall when it was open.

Robin was a bloody great bloke and his death has come to a great shock to us all, there was no sign of this coming and he'll be sadly missed.

As soon as I know further details of the funeral etc, I'll pass them on.

Niknak.

[aluminium persuader]

Very sad news. Condolences to his family & the Norwich gang.


ap

[radarman]

Very sorry to hear this sad news. I first knew Robin when he was an SAC assistant at Northern Radar in 1969. A great lad, with a wicked sense of humour.

Time passed, and roles reversed, and it was Robin who took me through my MER at Norwich in '82 when I converted from military to civil ATCO. Met him again in '95 when I went for an interview at Norwich. Still the same, irrepressible Robin.

A sad loss of one of ATC's characters. Condolences to all his family and colleagues.

[REDBEARING]

this is awful he was one of the greatest people to walk on this earth, a freind in time of need, and a true mate, he left his watch yesterday, and is never coming back, i have know robin since he arrived at EGSH, and we have both grown old together. I have to say he loved ATC, as he talked soo much!!! but he was a top notch controller, and a real party animal. I will miss him very much, gone but never forgotten, see you later mate
robert

[REDBEARING]

sad news

several of you civil and military pilots have been controlled by this man over many years, i thought i would let you know that he past away suddenly last week after doing is morning watch at EGSH, it has shocked many of us in good old norfolk, and shocked many people around the globe. He loved being an ATCO, as we all know he would chat away about anything, but was a top notch controller and a great guy. His only failure in life was he loved caravans!!! and would block every road in norfolk when driving around at 15MPH!!!

I have had the pleasure of knowing him for several years and will miss him very much, good night mate

GOVNE

[DICK DOLEMAN]

What a great shock and my sincere condolences to all the family. Robin was a great character and immense fun to work with. I often worked alongside him on my last tour at RAF Coltishall (1984)when Norwich ATC shared our approach room. A lovely man who will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He was part of a really great team at Norwich and I know how sad this loss will be for them

Dick Doleman

[78deg]

I was at EGSH end of the 70s early 80s as a student pilot and an instructor, Robin was a great mentor and friend. He will be sadly missed.

Tom

[fisbangwollop]

very rarely visit this site but what a shock....I guess its the same Robin, but if so we were stationed at Tain Range from 1972-74. A great big guy to be with. My lasting memory of him would be his getting his long body into his Fiat 500 and then driving all the way to Norwich a great feat in itself.......he had the longest hair in the RAF at that time, a bit of a Beetle I guess....many many happy memories of him of very very good times past. Condolences to his family.......Bomb gone Robin.

[fisbangwollop]

P.S.

Another memory of "Scriv"....whilst at Tain we used to have to look after the Bosse's dog whilst out on the range....."Nimbus" a very big black Lab had a great knack of buggering off and going looking for rabbits......always out of sight....one day "Scriv" got fed up with this and decided to paint his tail Day-Glow Orange for easier location!!!!!

I will never forget how that evening we all pilled out of the Land-Rover enroute to the mess and dissapeared to all quarters before the boss saw what had happened.

Long live the memories "Scriv"

[Brian Young]

This has come as a shock to me. I happened to speak to him only last month - which was the first time since I left RAF Coltishall at the beginning of 1985. The reason I contacted him was that I was listening to an old recording someone made for me of a light aircraft ab-inition pilot lost in ****ty weather, which I was involved in - and so was Robin. It was quite interesting. In short, the pilot was on 121.5 lost in storms 'somewhere in the Ipswich area', or so he thought. I noticed someone doing all the appropriate ident turns in the North Deans area, took control and tried to get him into Coltishall but failed. Robin, who was on Norwich Radar at Colt played a blinder. He said there was a gap in the weather at Norwich and held everything off for me. It ended with a SAR helicopter trailing the light aircraft and stopping him doing anything silly, which he had to do to stop him landing in a field at one stage. Meanwhile, Lloyd Brown was downstairs in Norwich using the 424 / whatever and passing heading info to Robin who shouted across to me. While all this was going on - as a sideline - I was having the mother of arguments with a more senior person who wanted me to send the aircraft to North Deans, which was flooded! Perhaps the light aircraft pilot is alive because of Robin's actions - who knows. I hope he managed to listen to the recording I sent him.
My condolences to his family.
Brian Young

[Diddley Dee]

Jenny Olivant here, nee Lee, logged in on my husbands account after hearing the very sad news about Robin Scriven. I first met Robin when i was posted to RAF Coltishall as a young LAC(W) in 1983. I remember with affection his banter with Brian Young, Dickie Doleman and Lloyd Brown. He was a funny, fun loving man with a huge personality - a real rebel. I later worked alongside Robin as a controller for 6 years. He was a talented controller and a pleasure to work with. Over the last 4 years i have spoken to him many times over the landline from LATCC(Mil), always a vivacious and jolly character. I am truly saddened by his passing and i am sure he will be greatly missed by many many people.

Mike and i send our sincere condolences to his family and collegues at Norwich tower.

[wings folded]

Sorry to intrude since I am not a professional in aviation and after becoming disabled, not even flying, but I picked up this thread and wanted to add my respects. I am assuming Robin was THE Robin who worked EGSH TWR & APP often from Colt, and was known with great affection by certain pilots as "Micky" (something to do with Micky Mouth) because of his ability to talk.

If it is the one and same , he was on APP when I think Steve was on TWR in the early 90s when I first flew solo, and I remember that his traffic updates seemed to cover the whole FIR, but his reassuring and friendly tone made a fairly busy and nervous few minutes of first solo a lot less frightening.

I offer my respects to his memory and condolences to those dear to him

[Jayfoe]

I was so shocked when I heard this sad news.

I looked forward to warm summer days at Colt in anticpation of seeing what sandal/short combination Robin would be attired in as he wandered into the approach room. His arrival would always be followed by an enquiry as to why I wasn't in school or revising for my GCSE's.

A fine controller who undoubtedly saved my bacon several times as I blundered about trying to get my Radar traffic into Rwy 04 at Colt.

A great loss of one of life's good guys, condolences to his family and all at Norwich tower.

[niknak]

Thank you to everyone for their kind posts and to the many many people who have telephoned ATC or passed their condolences over the air.

We still don't know the date for Robin's funeral, there are many reasons why this may be so, I don't know what they are and have no right to assume that I ever would.
I know that all enquiries are very well intentioned, but I would ask all of those who keep enquiring as to why directly to Norwich ATC to stop doing so.

Robin's family and I have promised that as soon as the details are known, they'll be published here, until then please respect their privacy and ours.

Many thanks,

Niknak.

[g.scriv]

Thank you all for your comments and stories of my dad. It's great to hear them all so please continue to write them on here.

We now have all the times and date for the funeral they are as follows

Tuesday 24th April

2PM at St Marys Church Reepham
Please be aware that the Reepham road is closed at the church so it is best to approach from B1145 in either direction.

3.30PM St Faiths Crematorium at Horsham St Faith (NR10 3LF)

Followed by a reception in The Halifax Suite at The Holiday Inn Norwich Airport (NR6 6JA) 4.30PM onwards.

We would be very pleased if you would like to join us to raise a glass or two to dad.

Black nor Jesus sandals essential but please wear some colour.

Family flowers only - Donations in lieu to East Anglian Air Ambulance c/o Duckers Funeral Service 23 White Hart Street Aylsham Norwich NR11 6HG.

Thanks Greg Scriven and family

[fisbangwollop]

Greg,

You mentioned the sandals there. That was another memory of your Dad when he worked at Tain back in 72/73. He wandered around all day long, even when in uniform in those sandals.

He was a great guy to work with and a great friend to be with in my first early days of RAF service.For the last 30 odd years he had dissapeared off my radar untill I read this forum last week. A total shock to me but as each day has passed a long forgotten memory has been rekindled.

It has been great to read all the other comments and to understand how well he had done in life since those happy early days as an SAC.

My thoughts will be with you all, good luck and best wishes.

Paul.

[red bearing1]

greg

you will see two threads from me on this section, one has been removed from another thread and put in here by admin section of pprune, this does not help as many pilolts do not visit the ATC section, i will try again!!

[atcomarkingtime]

I'm gutted...I recieved a call last Tuesady on holiday...yes Robin in a caravan!! I'd spoken to Robin the previous week on the phone between ANGLIA radar and EGSH....he helping me out as much as I helped him.
I've been controlling with Robin for 10 years now...such a laugh on the phone...we met up a few times and most recently Robin and Mrs S in Wroxham in July 2006 with my wife and two kids....such a fab pic of him and my daughter being CHILDREN!!!

Thanks Robin for being my mate and helper on the handover between Anglia Radar and EGSH....I don't know what I'll do not hearing you call me lots of names and then telling me its a recorded line!!

Hope Mrs S gets our card.....just tell her that I'm gutted...we'd even arranged a night out in May for a liason visit..

Thanks Robin for all you did in helping the traffic flow freely....I'll never forget my first meeting with you at Colt with you in your shorts!

RIP robin.......


P M J C

[aluminium persuader]

Hope the day went well. Godspeed Robin.

ap

[niknak]

Just to wrap this one up, it was an amazing turnout, the church was packed as was the crem' afterwards.
The reception afterwards was extremely well attended and although the Reepham mob will need time to themselves for a while, I am sure they were very grateful for the effort everyone put in to say goodbye to a much loved friend and colleague.

Robin may have gone, but he'll always be with us and never, ever, forgotton.

Niknak.

[REDBEARING]

a special thanks to GW, and shiny6 the family appreciated your efforts to get the final departure complete.