Alan Dixon (OK 1952)

Alan Dixon (OK 1952) started in the junior school at King’s in 1944, moving up to the senior school four years later. He was a member of the Boat Club and was awarded the J W Watts Memorial Prize for Art.

Ten years after he left King’s, Alan gave a talk to the school’s Railway Society. It inspired a new wave of young railway enthusiasts to assist with a project in which Alan played a pivotal role: the preservation of the Kent and East Sussex Railway. Several King’s pupils would spend time in school holidays helping with the preservation work. Stephen Bennett (OK 1963), Richard Husband (OK 1964), Tim Simpson (OK 1964) and Donald Wilson (OK 1963) retained a long-term interest, and went on to help Alan establish the Tenterden Railway Co Ltd, a registered charity, with the aim of reopening the line.  

In the Spring 1973 edition of the Tenterden Terrier (the Journal of the Tenterden Railway Co), Alan wrote:

‘A new year, and a new style magazine should be the harbingers of a new era for the Kent & East Sussex, one in which the line will take its rightful place amongst the ranks of the preserved railways which provide the public with an increasingly important service in leisure activity. After so many vicissitudes and an uphill struggle against almost insurmountable odds over the past eleven and three quarter years, the Railway, our Railway, is at the very threshold of success, but whether we cross that threshold depends, as we have observed many times before, upon physical effort in the completion of the hundred and one detail tasks which remain outstanding.’

The following year, the first trains started running, on a section of line between Tenterden and Rolvenden (today trains go as far as Bodiam).

Alan also contributed hugely to the local community where he lived, East Hanningfield, near Chelmsford.  A tribute to Alan was published in the Summer 2025 issue of the East Hanningfield News (published by East Hanningfield Parish Council):

‘The Parish Council sadly reports the death of Alan Dixon, born 30th May 1935. He died peacefully in hospital on March 9th. Alan was a resident of East Hanningfield living in the listed Rails Farmhouse at the south end of The Tye for many years. Alan was a long term Parish Councillor and Chairman and also a Chelmsford Borough Councillor. A forceful personality he much preferred winning arguments than compromise. For this he attracted many supporters but up set an equal number.

He was a Chelmsford Borough Councillor representing East and West Hanningfield for 28 years. His most noteworthy achievement was his enthusiastic support for the rebuilding of Hylands House. This had been abandoned for over 20 years, it had been damaged by fire and a large part of the roof had gone. In 2001 to commemorate 25 years service, the borough presented him with a reproduction Chinese urn which Alan then gifted to Hylands House. Today Hylands House is fully restored and emblematic of the City.

A man of principle he made a well advertised point of never claiming any expenses for his councillor work. “Public service should be given not paid for.”

As a Parish Councillor he was instrumental in getting a regular bus service to the village. He had the roads through the village declared as unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles except for deliveries.

But most importantly he lead the campaign which enabled the Parish Council to purchase the land which is now Hannas Field, build the Vil lage Hall and form the charity which now runs it. Alan performed the official opening ceremony in 1986. East Hanningfield would be a far less attractive place to live without these facilities at its heart.

After National Service, Alan started work in a bank but later became an insurance broker. He was a keen skier until late middle age. He was a model railway enthusiast and put on displays to raise funds for charity. Until very recently he used to drive his classic MG B sports car around the village surrounds.

History will be kind to Alan. His achievements will live a lot longer than the memories of the people he upset.

He is survived by his wife Belinda and sons Timothy and Rupert.

Malcolm Thomas, Chairman East Hanningfield Parish Council’

Image: East Hanningfield News