Thank You For The Days: Derek Paine

Derek Paine by Jack Clarke, colourised by Gary O’Brien

e was one of a kind, and if it wasn’t for Derek Paine, much of our local history would be lost forever….

And now this great man has passed, succumbing to a long illness on Sunday, April 10th 2016.

August 2013 Pic: John McGowan

For anyone with even a passing interest in local history, Derek’s seven volumes of Pictorial History books were invaluable. And hugely entertaining.

And they’ve certainly been an incredible source for the Greystones Guide, as we too set about archiving this wonderful corner of the world.

Gary NOV18

As his son, Gary, joined him, Derek’s books continued to unearth incredible treasures, gathering together local people’s prized photographs, family histories and wily anecdotes. And there’s more to come.

As our own resident historian, Gary Acheson, said earlier this evening, ‘Without dispute, he was the founding father of all our local history efforts‘.

Derek with Tysonmy, Telford Evans, David & Eric Spurling

Below is Derek’s biography from La Touche Legacy’s website. Suffice to say, you’re a gentleman, Derek Paine, and we salute you…

Derek Paine was born in Greystones in 1931.With his brother Stanley and sister Joan, he was reared at the edge of the sea in Glencoe, an old house that still stands on the North Beach and which was owned by his maternal grandparents, the Thompsons.

Survived The Savage Sea

Derek Paine, Neville Spurling, Leslie Acheson, Freddie Parkinson 1952

Later the family home was Glenkyle, Rathdown Road on land bought in conjunction with the Greystones Utility Society. Reason for the house-remove was coastal erosion. At the time it was assumed Glencoe would end up in the sea like many others destroyed by storms on the North Beach. Glencoe survived the savage sea.

This influenced Derek in a childhood ambition to join the navy.In preparation he studied at the Hibernian Marine School in Clontarf, Dublin only to be disappointed. The blow came after his medical examination for enlistment: hewas designated colour blind. He also suffered a serious blood disorder which ended his days at the school. He finished his education at St Andrews School, Bray, County Wicklow.

Billy Thompson, Derek Paine, John Fox, Bob Thompson, Terence Evans, Harry Acheson, Neville Spurling, Stan Paine, Derek Ferns

Most of his working life was spent with a financial company until an asset stripping take-over forced him into early retirement.

Craftsman

In leisure time he developed many skills to the point of mastery, as a sailor and in craftwork.He restored old and damaged furniture.He made model ships and yachts from kits and scrap. He carved blue nosed schooners from ends of wood, rigged them and slid them into liquor bottles, corked and bound them with the neat twist of a Turk’s Head.

We’re not sure about this either…

He ventured into boat repairs and eventually built traditional day-sailors from Canadian silver spruce, American oak, and Burmese teak.These were Water Wags, of clinker construction and the oldest one-design sailing dinghy in the world, of which he built four.

Several boats, purchased by the Association from various parts of Ireland and one from Wales, were completely rebuilt and are competing successfully in the fleet..

Tribute To “Skee” Gray

Today his 14-footers turn in record times in Dun Laoghaire harbour, raced by club members of the Royal Irish Sailing Club and the Royal George Yacht Club.

Hazel Paine 1960

Derek is much sought after for the high quality of his boat work, a limited amount of which he still takes on at a price no one contests is anything but fair.
“I got into boat building because my father made model boats.”Derek said, rendering tribute to the late Edwin “Skee” Gray, a boatbuilder who became hismentor and who passed on the mantle he wears today as chief maintenance man for Water Wags.  “After the Second World War my father was dealing in bronze, brass and copper and became very friendly with Skee, a boat builder in Dun Laoghaire. He used to supply him with nails and copper fastenings and bolts. He was a great man with his hands, a great boat builder and a very honest man.”

Community Worker

Mrs Emily Paine with Joan, Stan & Derek, and Flo Thompson with Bob & Doreen 1939

From early manhood Derek took a strong, active interest in the town’s community development programmes and for many years was secretary of the the Greystones Civics Association (GCA) in company with its chairman, the late Don McClean. They campaigned effectively for town improvements on everyone’s behalf, and in 1967 led a robust team of local mariners on a project that revitalised the harbour for twenty years.

Unfortunately, a number of misdirected people scuppered their later efforts to continue the annual improvements and eventually the harbour reverted to nature.
The GCA was a forerunner of Greystones Town Commission and its foundation became one of its most important projects, entailing much research and many meetings with public officials and local politicians. Of his chief interests, boatbuilding and local history, Derek says, “I am merely an assembler and collector.”

Pic: Peter McNiff

Collector

As a collector, his dogged enthusiasm over a period of forty years was rewarded by seven books of vintage photographs which he published privately.
“My main regret is that I did not start the collection sooner,” says Derek.

He remains constant in this search, a long and painstaking trawl for documentary and photographic evidence of the town’s heritage.

Thankfully, Derek’s son, Gary, has carried on this invaluable work…