It is with much sadness that Warminster Town Council announces the passing of Councillor Rob Fryer, 84. Councillors and staff pass on their sincere condolences to his partner Sue, family, and friends.
Rob, born 13/3/1939, was first elected to the Council in 2007 and was twice elected Mayor of the town during 2012-2013 and again between 2017-2018. A keen river swimmer and writer, Rob, of Portway, Warminster, learned to swim in the River Cherwell while at school in Oxford. He moved to Warminster, in 1965, and soon started swimming at the Farleigh & District Swimming Club in the River Frome near Trowbridge.
He has five children and ran a printing business in Warminster for 44 years. He was proud to live and serve the town. In 2018, he collected over £2,000 for charity during his year as Mayor. His chosen charities were the Wessex Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre and the Warminster Food Bank.
He wrote Rob Fryer’s Wild Swimming Europe which he described as the most comprehensive wild swimming guidebook ever, with 1,250 sites spread over the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and elsewhere. At 284 pages with 42 maps, Rob Fryer provides ratings, locations, and disabled access to swimming locations across Europe. Rob was also writing “Tragic Tales from Warminster”. This is a local history of all the local tragedies, together with maps, to help people explore the countryside around Warminster.
The current Mayor of Warminster, Cllr Philip Keeble said:
Rob will be deeply missed. He had such enthusiasm and passion for Warminster and for getting things done. He was instrumental in securing the return of boat hire on the Lake. He was Mayor at the time of the first Spring in the Park and would make a special effort to attend any event in the Park. He loved the return of Bands to the Bandstand and innovations like the splashpad. Rob had a mischievous sense of humour and would sometimes lob a comment in at meetings just to stir things up. Although a Conservative, he always viewed himself as a bit of a rebel. RIP Rob Fryer.”
Photo: Rob Fryer and Sue Burrow at Spring in the Park 2018 – Wiltshire Times.
Last modified: 29 November 2023
