Mark Batty (23 May 1956 - 26 May 2020)

Mark was very kind and helpful to our family. He was always cheerful and good company and will be sadly missed.
Marie Ken and Stephen

Mark lived on the edge. We need people who live on the edge. But sometimes they don’t fully fit in, having a different perspective.

Mark was very well thought of with his church congregations. He had a pragmatic, tell it like it is, no frills, no bullsh*t approach. He had seen too many people taken early in life and knew life was to be lived in the moment. Life being about the now, not the past or future. He enjoyed life to the full, and never mentioned any regrets.

He loved holidays, going to Sheringham and Butlins (a number of times a year) which he had done as a child. He liked food and cooking - having loads of people round to eat was no problem! He also liked his music, taping LP’s in his teens which carried on for many years resulting in drawers full of cassettes. Mark liked heavy metal - Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Robin Trower and AC/DC etc but also Boney M and Abba (also firm favourites of Alex, his son).

Mark ran a disco at the church youth club as a teen and then again at Mersey Mission to Seaman in Liverpool. He played the guitar, acoustic and electric, and wrote songs early on, playing in a band called Black Shadow (maybe he got the name from articles in Reg’s hairdressing shop in the front room)? He also had a CZ motorbike up until he moved from Ashby, and had many biking stories to tell.

I first met Mark in September 1974 at Trent Polytechnic. We had both started BSc Applied Biology. I remember on that very first day we were sat listening to a talk by the Head of the Department about the course (he was quite a small man and full of his own self importance). Towards the end of the talk, someone on the back row answered him back and there was laughter around the room. I turned around from the front to see Mark beaming on the back row. He had long black hair, a brown trench coat (in which he used to take drinks into the drill hall) and a Newcastle Brown t-shirt.

At Trent Poly, Mark lived with Bob who also became a life long friend. I shared digs and a room with Johnny Clifton that first year, who came back one night at 1am in the morning and fell over my bed. I asked where he had been:

"With Batty at the Poly Folk club!" Clutching a plastic bag.

"What's in the bag?" I asked.

“Reel to reel tapes from Batty”. He replied. "Look, one of them is from the Edgar Broughton Band”.

Me and Mark went to many concerts together, seeing the Adverts at the Lacemarket in Nottingham in our final year, and the Clash at Kings Hall Derby in Chan’s Ford Anglia (Mark bought extra tickets which unfortunately he couldn’t sell - lesson learnt!).

Mark went to the Mission to Seaman in Liverpool for a year, then on to Cuddesdon Theological College (for me, a lad from Hull, it was the first time I had seen someone in a Morning suit). He met Gary Edmunds there who became a life long friend and was ordained a few years back.

Later, Mark and Teresa moved to Ashby, Scunthorpe for his curacy with Rev’d Bill Hurdman and Rosemary (God bless) who understood Mark’s approach to to life and church.

Other memories:

Home brew (aaahhh, I can still taste it when I get drunk).

Annual holidays in Sheringham Norfolk - Mark loved anything to do with the sea (even bought a sea captains hat).

Mark loved baths, often falling asleep there.

He always awoke very early to listen to the shipping forecast.

In fact, the radio was on all the time, often Spanish stations and Radio Caroline (which Mark listened to as a youngster under the bed covers apparently).

Mark loved supermarkets and would visit daily looking for date stamped items.

One time I remember Mark prepared a meal from all date stamped items. Then we had to guess how much it cost for a whole meal for 7. Guess what it was? - £2.99.

Mark introduced me to Lidl’s when it first opened and Graffen Walden lager.

I once asked him where to get certain biscuits from in Scunthorpe. Mark proceeded to tell me the price of them in each supermarket and if Lidl’s did their own brand.

Bought a camper van latterly and enjoyed going to Newark, Cleethorpes and Butlins.

A hymn for you, Mark, as a reminder of Butlins. You were in your element at the R&B weekend when we saw Nine Below Zero with the bass player McAvoy (a song also played by your band Black Shadow).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go9J9REtfdA

I will see you soon Mark.

Steve

Thank you

Mark's warmth and humour will be sorely missed.

Mark, you were a one off, truly unique. Thanks for all the good times and friendship you gave. It was a privilege to have been a friend of yours, you'll be missed by so many people.

Shine on you Batty diamond.

With gratefulness for open arms and fond memories, and with all my love to Roxanne, Louise, and Teresa.

Rest in peace, Mark
xxx

We will miss you very much Mark. Your memories will always make us smile and may you always be smiling with us. With all our love from Sohail, Ros and Noah. xxx

Brancaster, Butlins , Lindisfarne, Nerja, Sheringham,
Away the lads, committee meetings, date-stamped, fluffykins,
Anarchy, energy, life in the fast-lane, life-and-soul, MUSIC,
Commitment, giving, inclusive, loyalty, special, trust, warmth,
Honest, loud, loving, open, sensitive, shy,
Friend and friends, laughter, relaxing, sharing, confiding,
Talks and walks, food and a glass, salud, sunsets, together,
LOVE
Always Love
Missing you so, so much
BROTHER
With you
ALWAYS
God be with you
XX

A few memories and things I think about when I think of Mark. His big bare hairy chest (and back), sweet smell of cooking sweat, BBQs and beer, constant radio and dimmed red lighting, candles, rock and roll, dire straits and roast pork.
Leg of lamb with ratatouille (another staple meal), olives, roasted salted peanuts which I couldn’t get enough of! Always felt a bit naughty eating them all before dinner, but the dish kept miraculously getting re-filled. A massive grin and “ouuuu” “errhhhhhhh” “parrrrp” were just a few of the odd sounds that were expected on entrance into any room with Mark. Big long tight bear hugs when saying goodbye. Mark was so accommodating with people coming on holidays or over for dinner, food for one more wasn’t a problem, even better in fact. He made Alex Smash potato hiding in little pieces of carrot using veg water for nutrients, which Alex ate with lashings of tomato ketchup, I feel the jealousy rising as I write. Cockles and muscles, Lambrusco at dinner for us kids, any food or drink requirements were catered for, as long as we didn’t buy the actual brands which were a “RIP OFF!”. The words rip off and bargain were richly embedded in Marks vocabulary in jest, and probably made the majority of conversations, behind what we were having for lunch and dinner, where were we going for a walk, music, and where him and Teresa had been/ were going on holiday. Grilled langoustines on the BBQ and the smell of fresh sea air at our Sheringham house with live music at the pub as an ‘outing option’ (Highlighted in the mornings committee meeting).
He’d play the ‘All things bright and beautiful’ hymn at church in Barnetby, because he knew I liked that one, him being a school governor and taking the family funerals were a few of the ways he demonstrated his soft and loving side, along with the big tight bear hugs.
He was so proud of his girls, he taught them to be outspoken and passionate, independent and sociable.
Family and friends, holidays, music, food and drink is what Mark loved the most.
God Bless you Mark, I love you.

With warm memories of Mark, a great rocker and friend. The best company ever and sorely missed. With lots of love to Mark - and also to Teresa, Louise and Roxanne.

A line from my/our favourite song Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd comes to mind ... “ cause I’m free as a bird now, and this bird you cannot change....”. How true that is about you Mark, you will be massively missed. RIP Dearest Mark.

I met Mark and Teresa when they were on their honeymoon in Donegal. They will forever remain in my heart. May your laughter and senses of fun Mark light up Heaven as it did on earth. Rest in Peace.

Mark was a man who showed great empathy with people, he was concerned with fairness, kindness and justice. It was always entertaining being in his company, his sense of fun and laughter never far from the surface. He will be greatly missed. X

Dearest Teresa, my deepest sympathy to you and your family.

Chris (CJ) from Trent Poly