'A big void in our lives' - wife's heartfelt tribute to Scarborough businessman and family man Geoff Jefferson
Tributes have been paid to much-loved Scarborough businessman, videographer and family man Geoff Jefferson, who died recently.
Geoff was well known by many people around Scarborough, particularly for the model railway shop, he owned with his wife Janet.
Geoff was also Janet’s Consort during her time as Borough and latterly Charter Mayor of Scarborough.
They originally bought the six-storey property in Eastborough in November 1983, with the idea of creating a deli/sandwich bar, having previously created the VG Store/deli on Seamer Road.
However, Geoff who came from a railway family and had a model railway himself, used the help of his mother-in-law to convert his wife to the idea of creating a model shop.
And in 2023 they celebrated 40 years of trading as the Train Shop, at which the couple also got special permission from the then GNER Railways to paint the shop in their livery of blue and red.
Aside from the business, one of Geoff’s main hobbies was making films “to BBC quality” within his own studio, cataloguing all the films he produced.
He filmed virtually every event taking place in Scarborough – from the arrival of Santa at the town’s Boyes Store, to the Council Mayor Making and civic events, Boxing Day football and raft races, Armed Forces Day, Scarborough Sea Cadets, RNLI events, Seafest – even the event covering the official opening of Open Air Theatre in 2010, by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Janet recalled two special films – one being the Springfield Excavation for the Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society which went viral and when, as a member of the Scarborough Videographic Society, winning the competition where entrants had to put a film to a piece of music which Geoff entitled A New Day Dawns over Scarborough South Bay.
The latter was very poignant and done in conjunction with filming Britain and Scarborough in Bloom – getting up as early as 5am to film with a fellow bloom member.
He also got involved with the Eastborough Traders, making floats and hanging bunting for the Chamber of Trade annual Carnival Procession.
A huge football fan, Geoff followed Scarborough Athletic, and with special friends he went to nearly every home game – fittingly, he and Janet married in 1966, the year England won the World Cup.
Originally a precision engineer by trade, Geoff later worked for short time for York City Police, before moving to Scarborough, which was like a second home to them.
Janet said “People came from all over the country to see the shop and we made friends with so many generations of people.
"He was so well known in our area.
“In his latter years, he got Parkinson’s but it never stopped him and he was always there to support me, in all I did having been together since we were teenagers, together with our son Nigel, daughter-in-law Julia and grandchildren Leia and Eric – our family being most important thing to Geoff.
“There is a big void in our lives – but our memories and love will live on.
"We want to thank our many friends and businesses within our community for their thoughts and kindness in supporting Geoff and we as a family.”
His funeral is on Thursday, June 26, 1pm at St Mary’s Church on Castle Road, followed by internment at Woodlands Cemetery.