I am sad to see the passing of Reg - a friend & colleague of my late husband David in HMSO. May he rest in peace Connie Roberts April 2017

Message to Linda from Reg Walker: I didn't meet Reg until 1966-67 and can certainly endorse your comments regarding unflappability and efficiency. As I constantly bang on to my children, and others (what do you mean, you noticed?) those 'old soldiers' we worked with were the best education we could get in our formative years in the office. Just one to add: when we moved to Norwich in 1968 I was 22 and Reg double that age. Anyway, he captained the Reprographic Supplies Seven a Side football team, and convinced me to play. As you know, Sportsman is not my middle name.....I was to football as Oliver Reed was to tea dances. Anyway, he put me in goal, assisted by a kicker and a catcher. I still had to be helped onto the Club bar stool at the end of the game, while Reg breezed around sorting everything out. He probably played another game in the afternoon, while I recovered in the bar. Happy days indeed. RW

Message to Linda from Maureen Leveton: So sorry to hear that Reg had passed away.  He was a wonderful man, who it was a privilege to have known.   I shall always remember his wonderful poems.

Message sent to Linda by John Eason: For now my mind is filled with memories of Reg's first day in HMSO. What a shock for him after a career in the Army, I did wonder if there would be a second. And then there was the time when he was sickening for appendicitis. He had a few bad turns in the office, which we traced down to his having kidneys for dinner. "Don't eat kidneys" was my advice. But then one day Reg suddenly rose from his seat and dashed out of the room and then there was a huge crash and Reg re-appeared soaked from head to foot. I took him up to Welfare on the floor above, but only after helping a painter  down from his ladder in the corridor. "I thought he was a goner" were the only words he could say, pointing to Reg. Reg had collapsed and had taken down a fire bucket as he fell. After he was dried out and had a lie down Reg was sent home. "Did you have kidneys for dinner?" I asked him before he left." No"he said.  " What did you have?" "Steak and kidney pudding!"  Anyway he was then off for six weeks having his appendix out. He was on a sub-section next to mine at the time . His boss was a useless bloke called Norman Reeves. After a couple of weeks I said to Norman that I could help clear up Reg's work ,which was piling up. Norman said he would see to it himself. Two weeks later the same again and likewise the day before Reg returned. On his first day back I apologised to Reg for the fact that nothing had been done while he was away. But Reg cleared his backlog in that one day. And that was him in a nutshell. Unflappable and super efficient. He was the first person in the office to know that Anne and I were going out together and somewhere we have a photo of him at our wedding in Mansfield. As I said we have many fond memories of Reg

Reg was such a wonderful friend and musical colleague for 35 years. He sang in The Martin Singers, St Gregory's Choral Society and Oriole Singers always with enthusiasm, reliability and good humour. My loveliest memory was his portrayal of Caedmon, a simple shepherd monk, who was inspired to create songs of worship and praise. Reg's stories, poems and monologues always a treat. A great gentleman indeed... Martin Wyatt