We were saddened to hear of the death of Ian Middleton, who passed away in February 2021.  Below is a look back at his life from fellow OH Richard Gore, along with his obituary in the Seatrade Maritime News. 

It is with great sadness that I write of the death of Ian Middleton. Ian was born in Hull in May 1948 and came to Hymers College in September 1959. He was a gifted sportsman and a very able student.

He became one of the best table tennis players in Yorkshire whilst at Hymers and excelled as a cricketer, as a slow left arm bowler of great accuracy, being drafted into the school's first eleven at the age of 14. Whilst at Hymers he was asked to attend the Yorkshire County Cricket Clubs senior nets, which was a great honour in the 1960’s.

However, Ian’s greatest sporting achievement was as a badminton player. He followed his father’s footsteps, learning the game as a member of the Hull and East Riding Club. He rose through the ranks to play for Yorkshire for many years and was in the England squad. In later life, Ian took up squash and played for a leading club in the top league in the country and when he stopped playing squash, he became a single figure handicap golfer!!

On leaving school, Ian studied at Newcastle University and achieved a degree in Anthropology before embarking upon his career. Ian was attracted to journalism and initially worked for the Sheffield Morning Telegraph. Whilst there he was spotted by the Financial Times journalist John Wyles, who recommended this able and energetic young reporter to the shipping magazine Seatrade.

Ian worked for this publication from 1976 until his retirement in 2016 and established a reputation as a forthright and formidable seeker of the truth and was fearless in his questioning of those in his industry who had questions to answer, as well as covering all the relevant developments in shipping and ports worldwide. 

Ian was highly regarded throughout the industry and travelled extensively in search of information to keep the readers of a magazine with a global reach well informed.

A fitting epitaph was given by the eminent shipping economist Dr. Martin Stopford who said, ‘’Ian was a good journalist and a good man. His integrity smoothed the rough edges all journalists have to come to terms with and he was always a pleasure to work with.’’

Ian married Vanessa and they had two children Tamsin and Jonathan all of whom survive.

by Richard Gore

OH 1958-66