Sydney Vivian
Johnson died on 7 May 2014, at the age of 95. Syd never married but had many
friends. He worked for BP Oil, at their former-refinery in Llandarcy, but film
cameras were his love.
I got to know Syd
through the Merthyr and District Natural History Society, where he was a friend
and contemporary of Mary Gillham OBE. Mary at that time worked for the
Extramural Department of Cardiff University and, as part of her job, organised
expeditions to study natural history. Mary and Syd thus were together on many
occasions passing on their own considerable expertise. Syd was a film camera enthusiast and
recorded what he saw on varying media as they became available, and showed his
films at many local meetings. As well as being an excellent naturalist, Syd was
interested in industrial archaeology and recorded many scenes of locally-important
industries – especially around the Neath Valley where he lived.
I have two
memories to share. Firstly sitting down on Gower with Syd, both trying to take a
picture of a fulmar, and Syd warning me just in time of their nasty habit of
regurgitation. The other occasion, on the Isles of Arran in Galway Bay, where
Syd joined in every walk – but always delicately balancing his very heavy camera
up and over the numerous stone walls.
His close
friend Mike Jones shared many of his archaeological expeditions, such as a particular
visit to an old lightship at Britton Ferry that had served at the D-Day
landings. These outings continued almost to his death and usually ended with a
fish and chip supper, and in Syd bemoaning that “all his pals were going”.
Members may
wonder why the Cardiff Naturalists’ Society is commemorating this man. It is
because we were gifted his entire film archive. It is a very mixed bag, with
some on very old film stock. Many of the films are of industrial archaeology
and mention the Neath Antiquarian Society, of which he was a life-long member. Mary
Salter, Mike Dean and I have listed
all the material, and we have had two films of good quality digitalised: ‘An
Island of Birds’, which we will show at the Monday 18 April 2016 meeting, and
one about the Glamorgan Canal. He was certainly the best amateur filmmaker I
have known and I hope we can preserve his legacy in some small way. If any
members have knowledge of Syd, or expertise in his field, we would really value
your advice.