Dedicated to working for the members of the Northern Section, Arthur Robert Moody never turned away anyone who needed his help.
“If it’s right, it’s right; if it’s wrong, it’s wrong”. That was the late Arthur Robert Moody’s approach to matters of the Showmen’s Guild, to business and to life in general.
As a member of the committee for the Northern Section for many years, also serving three stints as Chairman, he knew the Guild’s rules inside out – and he wasn’t going to bend them for anyone, no matter who they were.
It was that sense of fairness and treating everyone the same that brings those who knew him to describe him in the same words: honest, trusted, dedicated. A man of integrity, he was respected by all.
Arthur Robert Moody was born on 8 February 1947 at Barnard Castle, the only child of Robert and Ellen Moody. The family travelled the North East with juveniles and stalls as the young Arthur Robert learnt his trade.
It was in the North East, at Newcastle Town Moor Hoppings, that a 17-year-old Arthur Robert met his future bride, Valerie Thompson. The Thompson family had come up from Lincolnshire to open at the fair with their slip.
On the middle Sunday a few of the young Showmen went on a day out to the fair at Whitley Bay and on their return, standing on the path on the Town Moor, Valerie was introduced to Arthur Robert. “He was very nice and escorted me back to our trailer at the end of the ground”, Valerie says.
However, aged 18, she was supposed to be in by 11pm and it was by now nearly midnight. “Please let my dad be asleep”, she thought.
Fortunately, when Valerie’s parents Fred and Vena met Arthur Robert, they took to him straight away, calling him a “lovely lad”. Arthur Robert courted Valerie for five years, going down to Lincolnshire to see her whenever he could; she wasn’t allowed to go up to the North East.
Initially, Valerie didn’t take the relationship too seriously with such a distance between them, but Arthur Robert was clearly determined that she was the girl for him. “He was very persistent”, Valerie says. And it paid off – he won Valerie’s heart.
The couple got engaged on Boxing Day and married at Ripon Cathedral on 24 October 1968. They settled in Middlesbrough, living next to Arthur Robert’s parents, and welcomed two children, son Jason followed three years later by daughter Renata.
Building their business, they travelled the North East, initially with a small kiosk and train ride. Mostly they travelled with John Murphy who, along with his wife Alison, were very kind and fair to the young couple.
They started doing markets in their first winter together. Robert Moody had stood North Ormesby market for five years with a juvenile and stall and Arthur Robert and Valerie had the chance to put a kiosk on there. The kiosk is still there, now operated by Renata.
One day, when their children were in their teens, Arthur Robert came home and announced he’d like to be on the Northern Section committee. His father had been a committee member and served as Sergeant at Arms for many years.
Arthur Robert understood how much of a commitment it would be in terms of his time and wanted to discuss it with his family first. His family agreed. He was subsequently elected to the committee and so began years of unwavering service. Next to his family, the Showmen’s Guild became Arthur Robert Moody’s passion.
He was very proud to be part of the committee and went on to serve as Vice Chairman under John Culine and completed three separate stints as Chairman. He was also a delegate to Central Council and a trustee of the Section. Working with John Culine, the pair became great friends as well as colleagues and this friendship was to lead to them tracing the graves of two lost uncles, William Culine and Albert Miller, from World War I in France.
Within the Guild fraternity, Arthur Robert was known as a “quiet diplomat”. He had a way with him that seemed to get a result to a problem where others could not. He was discreet, he kept his own counsel and was trusted because of it. It wasn’t at all unusual for someone to phone him at 11 or 12 o’clock at night for advice and Arthur Robert never turned them away.
He was also known for his sartorial elegance. Always very smartly dressed, he set a high standard and Valerie can recall an occasion when a Central Council delegate phoned her to ask what Arthur Robert would be wearing to the meeting. On hearing her description, he decided he needed a new tie!
Despite his work on Central Council and various committees, including management and appeals, he had no ambition to become Guild President. He was mentored in the Northern Section by John Houghton, Colin Noble and Frank Newsome and John suggested he put his name forward for the national Junior Vice President role. Arthur Robert declined the invitation – although he enjoyed taking part in Central Council, he was dedicated to the Northern Section and its members.
The major motivation in his life was, of course, taking care of his family, although Valerie admits that sometimes the needs of his family conflicted with those of the Guild – and the family didn’t always win!
Just as his family supported him with his Guild work, he returned the favour. When the local Education Department asked the Section to appoint someone to liaise with schools, it was Arthur Robert who suggested Valerie take on the task, knowing how much she wanted a better education for Showmen’s children. As the role developed considerably over the years, Arthur Robert remained staunch in support of his wife and was proud of her achievements.
In the last 18 months of his life, Arthur Robert’s health declined considerably. Despite that, he still attended Section committee meetings when he could. “He wasn’t really up to it, but he wanted to go”, Valerie said.
As well as his work for the Showmen’s Guild, Arthur Robert was for many years Chair of the Middlesbrough branch of the National Market Traders Federation. On the day of his funeral, on 26 September, as the cortege drove through the market, many of the market traders turned out to pay their respects.
It was only after his funeral, however, that Valerie discovered just how many people had been touched by his kindness. Many local people stopped her in the street to tell her about how Arthur Robert had helped them. He had a reputation as the ‘go to’ person when someone needed help. “Don’t bother going to see the councillor, go and see Arthur on the market”, was the local advice.
Arthur Robert Moody passed away in Sunderland Hospital on 9 September 2023. A quiet and unassuming man, he had said he had no regrets about his life. It was a testament to him that people would ring him not always about the Guild, but just to seek reassurance or advice. “He gave his all to people”, Valerie said.
Paying tribute to him, Section Chairman Phillip Cooper Jnr said: “It was because of Arthur Robert Moody that I put my name down for the committee. I had a lot of respect for him. He is still mentioned at our AGMs and is much missed at our committee meetings.”
John Culine MBE, who delivered the eulogy for his long-time friend at his funeral, said: “Arthur Robert never told a lie. He loved the Guild and went on the committee to help the members. He never turned anyone away.
“He is sadly missed in my life”, he said. “And to this day he is held in great respect by many Showmen”.
Arthur Robert’s funeral took place at Teesside Crematorium on 26 September, where the President, Vice Presidents, Past President Philip Paris and many Section Chairmen and officials formed a guard of honour as he was received into the chapel.
In addition to his wife and children, Valerie, Jason and Renata, Arthur Robert leaves behind three grandchildren: Emmerson, Presley and Jarod Jnr.
Rest in peace, Arthur Robert Moody.
