Today marks the tenth anniversary of the sad passing of BrixtonR. For those you have joined in those ten years, Brix was one of the founding fathers of this forum and instrumental in making this where many of us settled after the BBC closed down their 606 forum. While his calm and “light touch” moderation set the tone for the early days when this forum was a lot more volatile than I’m told it is now, it was his thoughtful and perceptive posts which really stood him out and gave a better insight into the real David Beck.
It is very hard to pigeon hole David with a brief description, he was so much more than just a fervent QPR supporter. His intelligence and eloquence were obvious, but it was his humanity that permanently drove his agenda; his relentless battle against racism was set firmly at the top of his list of priorities.
Never one to simply accept the status quo, he was just as revered in the real world where he fought tenaciously for the rights of others, whether it was on behalf of homeless families or against heavy duty policing during the Brixton riots. He queried every accepted principle, prepared to challenge those that were found wanting. He spearheaded a campaign which successfully enabled private hire minicab drivers to have the same rights to drop off their passengers on red routes throughout London as their black cab counterparts. Typically he shunned the limelight that this attracted, preferring to focus on his next battle. Only after his death did I discover that he was also an accomplished artist and musician; the man knew no bounds.
David was just as much a friend to those who only recognised him through his avatar and words of wisdom as to those of us lucky enough to have met him in the flesh. He possessed that rare ability to make everyone believe that their opinion was valued even if he vehemently disagreed with them. His gentle probing could coax an opinion when none was originally offered and his prompting could encourage more considered comment from established contributors, although it was wise to be wary of being caught out by his mischievous sense of humour.
A few of us were lucky enough to share a few beers with QPRNUTS a couple of months ago on one of his all-to-rare visits from Ireland. The fact that we spent more time reminiscing about David’s tenure than discussing the current plight of QPR clearly shows the high regard in which he is still held after all those years. A warm and charming man who undoubtedly remains the greatest loss ever suffered by this forum; it is hard to believe that he has been gone for ten years.
It is very hard to pigeon hole David with a brief description, he was so much more than just a fervent QPR supporter. His intelligence and eloquence were obvious, but it was his humanity that permanently drove his agenda; his relentless battle against racism was set firmly at the top of his list of priorities.
Never one to simply accept the status quo, he was just as revered in the real world where he fought tenaciously for the rights of others, whether it was on behalf of homeless families or against heavy duty policing during the Brixton riots. He queried every accepted principle, prepared to challenge those that were found wanting. He spearheaded a campaign which successfully enabled private hire minicab drivers to have the same rights to drop off their passengers on red routes throughout London as their black cab counterparts. Typically he shunned the limelight that this attracted, preferring to focus on his next battle. Only after his death did I discover that he was also an accomplished artist and musician; the man knew no bounds.
David was just as much a friend to those who only recognised him through his avatar and words of wisdom as to those of us lucky enough to have met him in the flesh. He possessed that rare ability to make everyone believe that their opinion was valued even if he vehemently disagreed with them. His gentle probing could coax an opinion when none was originally offered and his prompting could encourage more considered comment from established contributors, although it was wise to be wary of being caught out by his mischievous sense of humour.
A few of us were lucky enough to share a few beers with QPRNUTS a couple of months ago on one of his all-to-rare visits from Ireland. The fact that we spent more time reminiscing about David’s tenure than discussing the current plight of QPR clearly shows the high regard in which he is still held after all those years. A warm and charming man who undoubtedly remains the greatest loss ever suffered by this forum; it is hard to believe that he has been gone for ten years.
