Brian Basil Denney (4 Feb 1929 - 16 Feb 2020)

In loving memory of Brian Basil Denney who sadly passed away on 16th February 2020.
Brian Denney was born in Windsor, and lived in a flat over his grandfather’s bakery shop at 86 Peascod Street until moving to Orchard Avenue, Windsor in 1936. His two sisters Judy and Sue joined the family, and they also took in 2 evacuees from London during the Blitz. Brian was educated first in Windsor County School, and then for secondary school went to Cheltenham College. In 1946 the family moved to Burnham, Bucks, and a year later Brian took up his first job as a clerk at TR Sanders, Coal, Coke and Ballast merchants.
In 1947 he joined the BBC External Services as Programme Engineer, the start of a lifelong career in the BBC. In 1949 he took a clerical job in BBC Gramophone library, where he was able to further his interests in classical music. Brian’s roles in the BBC over the years include Studio Manager, Announcer, and Newsreader, jobs that played to his strength of clear professional speaking. In 1956 he was appointed Senior Programme Assistant in the BBC Far Eastern services in Singapore, and it was there that he met and married EePin, who remained his wife for 62 years. Mei-Ling and Julian were born to them in Singapore, and the young family lived there until they returned to the UK in 1962, where Nigel was born five years later.
Brian rejoined the BBC in their European Service, and subsequently took roles in
1963 TV Presentation, and then Radio Coordinator, but in 1967 he was seconded to FCO as Radio Broadcasting Adviser to Lao National Radio. The family lived in Vientiane for 6 years, with Brian taking up an additional appointment to Cambodia Radio and TV in 1970.
In 1974 the family once more returned to the UK, staying first in Kingston before moving to Surbiton, of “The Good Life” fame. They lived there for 14 years, and Brian became Head of TV Liaison, TV Centre, London until his retirement. Brian and EePin moved north to Stamford for a good few years but returned to Claygate in Surrey in 2007, where they lived out the rest of their married life together. Brian’s interests included classical music and record collecting, reading, especially around history and travel and international cuisine. He remained active and in good health until the last few months of his life, and died peacefully in Princess Alice Hospice, Esher.