Peter Noel Byron Clarke (5 May 1932 - 31 Dec 2016)

In loving memory of Peter Noel Byron Clarke who sadly passed away on 31st December 2016:
EULOGY
MR. PETER CLARKE

“THINK BIG AND YOUR DEEDS WILL GROW; THINK SMALL AND YOU’LL FALL BEHIND.
THINK YOU CAN AND YOU WILL; IT’S ONLY A STATE OF MIND”

These words were written on a plaque in Peter and Edit’s family home as their children were growing up. They became Peter’s ‘mantra’ and he would make his children repeat the words time and again when they felt insecure or lacking in self-confidence. Peter believed in self-motivation; he had no time for socialising as he channelled all of his, not inconsiderable energies into his enterprise – the Energy Chemical & Equipment Company. Peter was a tough-minded, pushy ex-miner whose determination surpassed any suggestion of insecurity. He was a loving family man; a man of his word, loyal and dependable. Peter was an Englishman.

Born in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire to Kathleen (nee Bradbury) on the 5th May 1932 Peter was the only son of Hucknall born John Henry Clarke of Thames Street, Bulwell. Peter attended the local school leaving at 14 years old to work at Hucknall Colliery as Coal-face worker. After proving himself useful as a labourer working on the coal trucks Peter was introduced to the horses that worked down in the mine – the ‘pit-ponies’ – where he enjoyed many a long hour escorting sweaty horses blackened with coal dust and pulling heavy carts laden with precious coal from one pit to another – along the vast, miles-long underground passages that had been dug by exhausted mine workers, or formed by the very act of nature centuries before.

During Peter’s quiet times away from work he loved to sing and he joined the Colliery choir. Peter’s beautiful Baritone voice expressed his natural talent for singing and together with his theatrical, confident personality and his good looks he became popular with local Charities who asked him to appear at regular concerts throughout the 1960’s and early 70’s and he quietly supported local Charities until for most of his life. Peter also studied Mine-engineering at ‘night-school’ becoming a Deputy at Calverton Colliery until he decided to change direction and move the family to Burton Joyce in order to in his own words, “Better ourselves.” Peter was a Coal Miner for 19 years.

Peter met his wife-to-be, Edit Magdalena (nee Christ) at a Dance hall on St. Anne’s Well Road in 1953 during the Goose Fair weekend. Peter fell in love with Edit Magdalena and he asked her to marry him shortly after they met. They were married on 19th February 1955 in Bad Kissingen Roman Catholic Church, Germany. Peter and Edit soon became parents to Rene, Andrea, Brendan and Carl who each arrived in moderate succession to complete the Clarke family. After moving to Burton Joyce in March 1965 Peter soon found a job as a door-to-door salesman selling cleaning products. He discovered that he enjoyed the challenge of being a Company sales-rep and after a few years without a car he became employed by Reckitt and Coleman who offered a Company car to their sales team. By 1979 Peter ventured out on his own as he’d always wanted to own his own business and together with his wife they formed their first company, ‘Technical Cleaning Services’.

Peter’s love for business took him to new heights when he and Rene together decided that they should change course and find new ways of making money. Peter didn’t get much sleep as he would spend hours thinking-up designs for pumps. Rene’s words to his father were, “Dad, pump manufacture is a good way of making money”. With his then son-in-law’s help Peter designed the first Energy Bullfrog Valve, which formed the integral part of our first Energy Pump. We call the Bullfrog Valves ‘the heart of the Pump’. Peter and Rene were gradually joined by Brendan and Carl.

Built to order Energy Ram and Diaphragm Pumps have proved their worth, not only through Energy Efficiency, but also through clear, cost-effective, robust and wholly reliable sludge and slurry handling on many sites throughout the UK. The first 600 Energy Diaphragm Pumps were manufactured using the most rudimentary system, in disused out-buildings. With no electricity or running water to assist them Peter and the boys designed and manufactured Energy Pumps in often freezing conditions using power tools powered through cables attached to car batteries. The car-batteries had to be re-charged every night in the kitchen of the family home and the men worked 14 hours a day in order to complete the contracts that they had secured with the UK's Water Authorities. Peter’s pride and joy, the Energy Chemical & Equipment Company was established, first in Bulwell and then in Southwell, where the factory has become one of Nottingham’s most successful, local British engineering design and manufacturing companies and possibly the UK’s only in-house sewage pump design and manufacturing company.