Death announced of former Eastbourne businessman and respected councillor

A former Eastbourne businessman and counsellor has passed away – three weeks before his 100th birthday.
Aurbey and Kay Vickers SUS-201108-132419001Aurbey and Kay Vickers SUS-201108-132419001
Aurbey and Kay Vickers SUS-201108-132419001

A former Eastbourne businessman and counsellor has passed away – three weeks before his 100th birthday.

Aubrey Vickers died in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday) at the nursing home in Oxford he had lived at since leaving Eastbourne.

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Mr Vickers, whose wife Kay died in 2012, ran Vogue Handbags in Grove Road and later Cornfield Terrace.

Aurbey Vickers SUS-201108-132459001Aurbey Vickers SUS-201108-132459001
Aurbey Vickers SUS-201108-132459001

He served as an elected representative for the Eastbourne community for more than 50 years and won all 22 of the elections that he fought over that period. His majorities were often substantial, sometimes topping 90 per cent of the vote.

Mr Vickers’ son Andrew, who lives in Holland, said his father had first met Kay at Eastbourne’s Young Conservatives while she worked at Rannie’s Domestic Science School.

In the 1950s, Eastbourne’s YCs were a vibrant social as well as political organisation. The couple got engaged in the grounds of the Grand Hotel and married in 1955, just after Aubrey’s first electoral success.

The couple enjoyed 56 years of marriage until Kay’s death.

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While best known for his role in Meads ward, Aubrey used to represent the old Central ward and his family says it was not unknown for him to physically assist probable Tory voters, especially the elderly, to polling stations, if things were looking tight.

Mr Vickers served as a councillor then Alderman of the council of the County Borough of Eastbourne for 20 years from May 1954 and was made an Honorary Alderman in 2006.

He also served on East Sussex County Council from its inception in 1973 to 2005. As a county councillor, his family say he made a valuable contribution to keeping the council’s finances in good order, and chaired the finance, policy and resources, and pension fund investment committees.

Mr Vickers chaired a number of committees on Eastbourne council including housing and tourism and leisure. He and his wife were chosen as mayor and mayoress in 1990 and as mayor, Mr Vickers was the returning officer in the by-election that followed the assassination of Ian Gow MP by the IRA.

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His son Andrew said, “Aubrey put town before party and was known for the occasional ‘independent’ vote, sometimes to the consternation of the local Conservative Association. He convinced Maurice Skilton to stand for the council while being measured-up for a suit by Maurice.

“At school Aubrey was an accomplished athlete, with great times recorded over both the 100 and 200 yards. He served in the Local Defence Volunteers – the predecessor to the Home Guard – and in the RAF during the Second World War.

“He climbed in Austria before the war in 1938 acting as a holiday guide, and once shared a rope with Noel Odell, the last man to see Mallory alive on his failed 1924 attempt on Everest whilst mountaineering in Scotland.

“Aubrey was a passionate believer that everyone should have access to quality and affordable housing, a cause he championed until his death.

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“He supported construction programmes across the town as well as enabling greater home ownership. Aubrey’s passion for theatres and the arts also extended throughout his life with support for the construction of the Congress Theatre to supplement the Devonshire Park and Hippodrome theatres.

“He also acted as president of the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra and in later life he campaigned for affordable theatre for the town’s residents.”

Eastbourne council leader and long serving Liberal Democrat politician David Tutt led the tributes to Mr Vickers.

He said, “I remember Aubrey as both a political opponent and a friend. We would often travel home from Lewes together and enjoyed detailed discussion of the political issues of the day.

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“I spoke to him most recently just a few weeks ago and he was asking me about both local people and projects.

“Together with his late wife, Kay, Aubrey ran a successful business in the town, in addition to his many years of service on Eastbourne Borough Council, East Sussex County Council and the former County Borough Council.

“He was a man of great knowledge and good humour. With his passing, Eastbourne has lost someone who served it with energy and dedication.”

Former borough councillor and chairman of East Sussex County Council, David Elkin, said, “I remember Aubrey most fondly. He was a terrific mentor to all the young councillors, always very professional, a stickler for detail and never left anything to chance.

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“He really cared about people and doing his best for them, a true gentleman and outstanding stalwart of our town.”

Conservative Colin Belsey said, “I have known Aubrey for many years within the Conservative Association and the borough council.

“I sat on the events and entertainments committee back in the early 80s which Aubrey chaired. I visited his handbag shop in Cornfield Road more than once. I will always remember being in Menorca with my family one year. We had gone for a walk and as we walked back I recognised his voice in a local bar, a very pleasant evening prevailed. He was a gentleman and helped me in my learning years of being an Eastbourne councillor.”

Fellow Conservative Anne Angel also knew Mr Vickers very well.

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She said, “I knew him for many years in the Chamber of Commerce and in local politics. We also had a business near Kay and Aubrey’s shop Vogue in

Chatsworth Walk. They were great fun and worked tirelessly for Eastbourne.

“Aubrey had a brilliant analytical brain, and even after he retired had a keen interest in national and local politics. I typed letters on his behalf to politicians such as George Osborne and David Cameron and we had long conversations about his views on political issues. Our thoughts are with the family at this time.”

Andrew and his brother John are making arrangements for a private cremation in Oxford due to Covid-19 but are hoping to hold a memorial service at a later date.

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