John Bickerdike 1932 - 2024

Note from Jon Buttolph, Executive Director of Professional Standards: John has taken the unusual step of writing his own obituary which I am not sure is something I would encourage but certainly reflects his tenacity and commitment to good organisation! We are very grateful to Tina Bickerdike for supplying his text in accordance with his wishes and also for the photograph.

John Bickerdike, who died on May 20th, 2024, aged 91, was Principal Lecturer in Environmental Health at Leeds Beckett University and its antecedents from 1963 until 1992.

He was responsible for the introduction and development of the environmental health degree course and other associated courses in acoustics and health and safety. He was a member of the CIEH Education Committee and the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) and the Education Committee of the Institute of Acoustics. On retirement he undertook consultancy on a wide range of acoustic projects.

He left school at age 14 but continued his education attending evening classes and obtained a HNC in building at Birmingham College of Technology during his national service. On leaving the army he obtained a place at Leeds Health Department as a trainee public health inspector. In 1963 he was appointed Lecturer in Public Health at Leeds College of Technology, which became Leeds Polytechnic and subsequently Leeds Beckett University.

He continued his education with an MSc and courses in acoustics at Salford University. He undertook a major study for the Department of the Environment into Noise Level and Attendance Patterns at Discotheques and produced a code of practise for the industry, which, unfortunately, was largely ignored, although some recommendations were followed.

During this period he was an active member of the CIEH Education Committee at a time when the profession was moving to degree level entry, and he represented educational standards on the Council for National Academic Awards when courses were upgrading from diploma to degree level.

During the last two years at Leeds Beckett he was given the task of managing the conversion of the faculty’s professional courses to the university’s modular format. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Acoustics and served on the Council and as Chairman of the Education Committee.

John played cricket in the Yorkshire Council but gave it up in his mid-twenties to take up golf, which he played until his mid-eighties. Only a modest player at both sports, he enjoyed the challenge and friendships. He was elected captain of Howley Hall Golf Club in 2001. He married twice, to Joyce in 1954, with whom he had two sons Ian and Graeme, and to Dorothy in 1971, who predeceased him.

We will be glad to commission obituaries for recently deceased members who have made a contribution to environmental health. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to recognise someone. Obituaries should be no more than 500 words and include the subject’s full name and year of birth. Please focus on their work in environmental health (including CIEH activities). A good quality photo should be included, along with permission for its use. We can not accept unsolicited obituaries. We are unable to write them ourselves.