‘A genuinely lovely guy’: Activist and DJ Nick Skelton mourned
Tributes have been showered on Nick Skelton, activist, DJ and “a genuinely lovely guy” following his death last week, aged 69.
The Fen Ditton resident was well known for his contributions to community radio, for his dedication and good humour as a climate activist, and as a villager in Fen Ditton, where he lived with his partner, photographer Kay Goodridge, for 37 years.
Nick was born in Isleworth, Middlesex on June 26, 1953. His mother was Welsh – “that was a big thing for him”, says Kay. He became a carpenter and started a successful building co-operative. He moved to Cambridge in 1986 from Bath, with a love of music which led to his becoming a self-employed producer, presenter and DJ. He was also a huge presence in the climate justice community, where his cheery nature and instinctive understanding of the need for radical change found a natural berth.
A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion (XR) Cambridge said: “We are all totally crushed by Nick’s death.
“A member since XR Cambridge was established in 2018, you could always expect Nick to be at an action no matter the time or the weather, with his signature cheerfulness and cheekiness.
“He played a key role in many of the major XR actions throughout Cambridge – Streets for Life, Rebel for Justice and the Black Friday blockade. Even during the final months of his illness, Nick continued to be involved in the ongoing ‘Schlumberger Out’ campaign and provided the music for a flash-dance demonstration.
“Nick exemplified many of the things Extinction Rebellion aspires to – a commitment to justice, active hope and a deep sense of community. He was a beloved member of our community and will be sorely missed.”
Cambridge 105 also paid tribute to his love of music.
A Cambridge 105 Radio statement read: “Nick’s programme ClubGlobal was a regular in the Cambridge 105 Radio schedules since we began in July 2010. Before that Nick was heard on our predecessor 209 Radio. When Cambridge 105 Radio picked up the city’s community radio licence his carpentry skills helped construct the Gwydir Street studios.
“An environmentalist, Nick produced a series of programmes for Cambridge 105 Radio called The 7th Generation. ‘For My Grandchildren’, reads a banner on a picture of Nick on his Facebook page.”
Fellow Cambridge105 presenter Neil Whiteside added: “He was a genuinely lovely guy. His knowledge of world music was encyclopaedic. When I was doing the breakfast show he would often send me tracks from ClubGlobal for me to play – they were always great tracks for a breakfast show.”
Jeremy Peters, activist, co-founder of Silent Rebellion and Big Sit and events photographer, said: “Whenever I witnessed Nick, I experienced something of his whole-hearted courage in facing up to his responsibility to communicate the need to protect people and nature.
“He was a deeply compassionate man – with individuals and with the bigger picture of the impact of preventable climate change on vulnerable peoples. But more importantly, he acted on this through creativity and logistics, designing non-violent activism that kindly drew attention to the causes of the climate and ecological emergencies. Alongside this, he brought lots of playfulness and fun when working with others to draw attention to the causes of social injustice.”
Gil Karpas said on Facebook: “A passionately enthusiastic music lover, a world music expert, a broadcaster and DJ, he leaves a place that would be nigh impossible for a scene of people to fill. I recently remember him DJ-ing at Cambridge Junction and the crowd were up on their feet, dancing and shouting their excitement with every phrase and beat.
“I said Nick’s name in the Yahrzeit of the service at synagogue yesterday. May his memory be a blessing.”
Donations are requested to be directed to Extinction Rebellion Cambridge and Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.
A tribute will be broadcast on Cambridge105 Radio later this year. Details of a memorial service will be made available in due course.
