The club has recently lost its much loved and respected President, Lewis Woolnough, who died on 2nd April 2021. One of life’s true gentlemen who taught us all so much over the years, he will be greatly missed. Peter Sunderland knew Lewis right from the formation of the club and writes;
I learned today that Lewis had sadly died, he was a truly lovely man and very, knowledgeable and generous. He was constantly thinking of others and made great personal efforts to support those old and new to the hobby of microscopy. Lewis was very good at sharing his great knowledge of microscopy in a way which was easily accessible to those people wanting to improve their skills. He had a way of explaining complex ideas and concepts in an understandable and entertaining way. He never made me feel anything other than capable of trying to reach his high standards, he truly wanted me
to succeed, his learning style was co-operation before competition and he lived by very high personal standards. I never saw him ruffled or upset with challenging situations, he had a kind and thoughtful approach to problems and he had a unique way of getting people on-board.
I first met Lewis at one of Ernie Ives courses at Belstead House near Ipswich and I explained that I was taking the BBKA Microscopy examination but that I knew nothing about microscopes. All the people I had approached before attending the course said they knew about microscopes, but I found out later that they didn’t really understand them and how they worked. Lewis and I chatted and got on very well and as a result he invited me to his house for the day to go through different microscopes; both Lewis and his wife Janet were very welcoming. When I explained to Lewis that I wanted to run a course for beekeepers to educate myself and other beekeepers in the area he agreed that he would teach us all the theory. After we had completed the course the participants were eager to learn more and it was agreed that we would form a local microscopy group which we did in 2007. After the completion of the training course, members were keen to show their gratitude and we presented Lewis with a silver dish on which everyone’s name was engraved. The dish was presented to Lewis at the Quekett Microscopical Club annual dinner.
The group first met at the Waveney Beekeepers premises at Barsham in Suffolk, but we soon outgrew the premises and we looked for an alternative location able to meet our growing needs. As a result we retained the services of the village hall at Bergh Apton and we now meet on a monthly basis.
Without Lewis the Iceni Microscopy Study Group would not exist he was instrumental in the formation of the group and saw us through the ups and downs and was always available to support everyone who needed it. Lewis will be very much missed by all the members he was held in high esteem by everyone and I know he would want the Iceni to continue to grow and succeed.
