Jim Coggins R.I.P
A cold wind swept through the Arborfield and Swallowfield angling community on hearing the news of Jim's death. He had died suddenly on the bank of his beloved River Loddon. He knew the river and it's wildlife well, having been a lifelong member of Arborleigh Angling Club. He had served on the committee for decades, had been the match secretary for ten years and then his wit and wisdom made him a worthy and respected chairman for the last 15 years before his death on the 4th August, aged 65 years. He was a kind man with a ready smile who made many friends throughout his life. The huge number of people who gathered at his funeral felt honoured to support his family on that sad occasion. He leaves a wife, two sons, four grandchildren and the rest of his extended family and all those friends who will not forget his smile.
A Close Friend.
I had known Jim for many years, but a relatively recent encounter with him, appropriately during the early stages of the construction of the Arborfield Fish Bypass Channel, will remain a lasting memory. A number of us had volunteered to manually dig part of the channel under a fallen willow, a somewhat unusual decision on the route of such a construction. Jim with some of his typical enthusiasm led the digging, and the task was completed over a couple of days. He was always very supportive of the LFCC, and I was grateful to be able to repay this support on a couple of occasions by assisting Arborleigh Anglers with tasks on their piece of the Loddon. I find it hard to believe like many of us that we will no longer be able to discuss local issues with him.
Martin Moore, LFCC Chairman