AA patrolman and computer expert

Aberdeen AA man, mechanic, computer enthusiast and Royal Patron of Amaranth Grand Court of Scotland, Bob Anderson has died aged 74.

The Automobile Association patrolman who was once invited back to the house for tea by Lady Aberdeen was formally called Robert but better known as Bob.

Born in 1947, he grew up in the South Wales mining community of Tredegar, where he had an office job after leaving school but declined to tell his family he was also regularly up and down the mineshaft.

At 19 he joined the Royal Air Force but, despite signing up for six years’ service, was medically discharged before his time was up after falling out of a Vulcan aeroplane which was on the ground, fixing a camera.

His safety harness came away, dropping Bob 15ft to the ground and fracturing his skull.

During a spell at RAF Cosford he first set eyes on Dorothy Cheyne – an Aberdonian quine who subsequently moved to Leuchars.

When Bob was discharged he moved to be near Dot and the young couple married in Aberdeen registry office on October 25 1967.

When Dot became pregnant with the first of their two daughters she too left the RAF.

Bob worked as a barman at Summerhill Lodge, but a tax rebate enabled their return to South Wales.

The next decade was spent in Wales where their family grew to include a second daughter.

Bob worked for Islwyn Borough Council Buses and also became involved with the trade union movement.

Subsequently, a dispute happened which saw some fellow bus workers lose their jobs cut while other kept theirs.

As the union representative for the bus company he rallied the workforce.

This union connection perhaps also goes some way to explain why their local Welsh MP and former leader of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, ended up babysitting for daughters Sian and Amy!

Moving back to Aberdeen, Bob had a brief stint on the rigs before working for the Automobile Association.

For 20 years he put expert mechanical knowledge to good use fixing cars across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Deeside.

When ill health forced early retirement from the AA he started his own business repairing and setting up Apple computers.

He became part of the Masonic and Amaranth Grand Court of Scotland and was voted in for a one-year term as Grand Patron of the Amaranth Grand Court of Scotland.

After a spell at Woodend Hospital owing to ill health, he became a resident of Kingswells Care Home two months ago and passed away on November 17.

Bob Anderson has died at the age of 74.