In December 2014, Pilton lost a leading light with the passing of Hamish Patrick. A founding member of Pilton Festival, he was born in London, educated in the USA, trained as an actor and did theatre work and several TV series most notably Crossroads in 1978.
He moved to North Devon in 1981 and was a huge influence on community events in Pilton. His dream was to turn the tide of fracturing communities when children grew up and left. He rightly believed that a strong community bond would bring them back and 25 years later some of those children are on the Festival Committee. He directed the Green Man Pageant and organised the family-friendly haven of Rotary Gardens. Over the years he adapted, directed and acted in some 20 local pantomimes and, through these, was a staunch supporter of local charities. He also narrated beautifully an evocative video The Myths and Legends of Exmoor in 2003.
He got a great send off when several hundred people gathered to mark his last journey down Pilton Street. The Rotary Club of Barnstaple acknowledged his enormous contribution to Pilton life by posthumously making him their Citizen of the Year. He was a much-loved man who will be greatly missed.
This obituary was transferred from the old www.piltonfestival.co.uk website in March 2026.
A more complete story of Hamish’s life can be found in the following pdf file.
Obituary of Hamish Patrick
PDF