Obituary: Raymond Rees MBE, Life Vice President

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21 December 2013

​On 16th December 2013, one of the greatest coraclemen of his generation died. Raymond’s family have, for over two hundred years, practised the art and skill of making coracles and using them on the river Tywi with consummate skill. This fact was recognised by the granting of an MBE to Raymond by the Queen in 2011 for his services to the coracle heritage and inshore fishing in Wales, which replicates many years earlier that of a BEM to his grandfather for similar services.

During his life he was a tireless defender of the right to fish with nets on his beloved Afon Tywi. During that time he passed on his skills as a coracle netsman to many others. He was a most skilled coracle and net maker who whilst being loyal to his family’s heritage, was not averse to innovation as witnessed by his use of fibreglass in coracle construction and of cable ties to secure laths one to another in his traditional wooden craft. He was also very happy to discuss coracles with anyone with a genuine interest in them. Raymond was a well educated man who began life, I understand, in the Civil Service which he left to set up and run a very successful fishmonger’s business in Carmarthen. The Coracle Society was very fortunate in having Raymond as one of its first honorary Vice Presidents. He was a constant and most respected Vice President of the Society.

Over thirty years ago Raymond made a traditional Twyi coracle with a woven gunwale for me; later making a modern fibreglass craft also. Over the years my wife and I became close friends of Raymond and his late wife Linda, who would have been so proud of his MBE. During this time he gave me an enormous amount of information about coracles for which I am eternally grateful. May I conclude by saying that our great sense of loss is reduced by the knowledge that the Rees family tradition is being maintained by Raymond’s son Malcolm, to whom our condolences go.

Sir Peter Badge
President of The Coracle Society

Photo: Camarthen Coracle and Netsmen's Association