The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners report with great sadness the death of Past Master Emeritus Eric Green, who was Father of the Company and a founder member.
Eric died in hospital on Sunday, 10 April with his wife Ann and family at his bedside.
Eric was born in Rochdale in 1933, was educated at Stretford Grammar School and obtained a degree in economics at Leeds University in 1955. Whilst at university he joined the Air Squadron and fell in love with flying, served two years National Service in the RAF and got his wings flying Provosts and Vampires. Posted to 99 Squadron (Transport Command) as a co-pilot on four engine Hastings, one task was to take nuclear material to Christmas Island in the Pacific for the H Bomb trials in 1957. He joined British European Airways, gaining Commercial, Senior Commercial and Airline Pilots licences. He flew European routes between 1957 and 1964, but was diagnosed with diabetes which precluded any further professional flying.
Eric’s first job after piloting was selling high performance coatings, but after two years jointly formed a company manufacturing and selling chemicals. This was sold to the 100 million pound HAT Group where he continued employmen, transferring to the Contract Cleaning division as Marketing Director in 1980, which had a turnover of 18m by 1985. BET acquired the HAT Group in a contested bid and Eric became marketing director of Initial Contract Services. In 1988 he was appointed a director of BET Contract Services Marketing Division but took early retirement in 1990. He formed his own consultancy business, called Broomsbury (Europe) Ltd (burying the broom!), offering services to major companies supplying contract cleaning companies and products, working around the world. He fully retired in 2000, especially concentrating on his golf!
Eric says he was a show off from the early age of 10 at the Stretford Children’s Theatre! However, they taught him some discipline, and, some Shakespeare, which was a good grounding for his lifelong passion as an amateur actor, and, directorial experiences, especially the Pageant to celebrate the 750th Anniversary of St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Upton (opposite his then home!).
Sport was very much part of his life, and early on this lead him to the higher echelons of football, obtaining university colours, winning representative honours for West Yorkshire, and English Universities, even becoming a Busby Babe in 1955 with Manchester United, well before the famous ones like Bobby Charlton1
Eric was a Founder Member of the Guild of Master Cleaners in 1972 in the City of London, and became Master of the Guild in 1979. The Company achieved the status of a full Livery Company (as The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners) on 22nd October 1986, exactly 14 years to the day after its formation as a Guild. Eric served as an Honorary Court Assistant, and became Father of the Company following the death of John Ayres.
He was a Fellow of the British Institute of Cleaning Science and served in its Council for some years. He represented Initial on the Council the Contract Cleaning and Maintenance Association (CCMA) and was its Chairman in 1982-85. Eric was the UK representative to the World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC) and became its Treasurer from 1984 to 1986, and then served two years as its President during 1988-1990, holding its 8th Biennial Congress in Birmingham in June 1990.
Eric’s funeral and internment, was held at Upton Church, Nottinghamshire on Wednesday, 4th May 2016, leaving a widow, Ann, and two sons, Christopher and Nicholas and four grandchildren.
Any further information obtainable from:
Michael Bizley
Almoner, Clerk Emeritus and Honorary Assistant
Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners
6 Grange Meadow
Elmswell
Bury St Edmunds
IP30 9GE
E: almoner@wordpress-476456-1496946.cloudwaysapps.com
T: 01359 24404
