A life on the river: tributes to long-serving Maidenhead lock keeper Bill Stacey

A former Maidenhead lock keeper has been remembered as a devoted family man and a quiet guardian of the River Thames following his death.

William ‘Bill’ Stacey marshalled waterways in Berkshire for decades, in a career which began in 1967. He died aged 82 at Wexham Park Hospital on December 22.

His granddaughter, Rebecca Gage, said Bill had ‘loved’ life on the river.

“He really enjoyed being in that environment,” Ms Gage, 42, said.

“He was such a massive lover of birdwatching. He liked being on the river and seeing all the wildlife.”

Bill served as lock keeper at Boulters Lock for 13 years, becoming a familiar a presence to boaters, walkers and even the Advertiser newspaper.

He decided to move with his wife Jill to Romney Lock, near Eton, in 1991.

Speaking to the Advertiser at the time of his departure, Bill said: “I am sorry to be leaving here in many ways.

“This is probably the most prestigious lock in the world and I have thoroughly enjoyed the job.

“But with the vast increase in night traffic, I find it virtually impossible to sleep during the summer months.”

Romney Lock, also known as the Queen’s Lock, was a quieter posting, allowing Bill more time to spend with his family and enjoy the natural world he loved.

According to his granddaughter, he even befriended a squirrel, named Susie, who would visit the lock house each morning and sit on the carpet in front of the television.

Ms Gage said Bill also struck up an unlikely friendship with TV celebrity Chris Tarrant, the former host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, who would fish with him at Romney Lock.

Educated in Windsor, Bill studied accountancy before choosing a different path on the river.

Ms Gage said: “He was the most educated man and most intelligent man I’ve ever known.

“He could go on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and win the show quite easily – as long as it was no questions about pop music or something current like that.”

But life on the River Thames was not without hardship, and Bill would have to contend with bitterly cold winters and the sometimes dangerous machinery controlling locks.

Ms Gage said he had lost the tips of two fingers while adjusting sluices to control water levels during the night, a task that is now often handled automatically.

“As kids, he always used to tell us a story about a crocodile jumping out of the river and biting the ends of his fingers off,” Ms Gage said.

After retiring from Romney Lock around the early 2000s, Ms Gage said, Bill continued to spend time near water and pursued his love of birdwatching.

He also travelled frequently to Cyprus, although his eyesight deteriorated in later years.

A funeral service for Bill will be held at Slough Crematorium at 11am on Wednesday, January 21, followed by a wake at Marlow Masonic Centre.