A STALWART Kidderminster campaigner and former mayor has died a week before his 94th birthday.

The family of Anthony MacKenzie-Farmer has said he passed away peacefully on Monday morning (January 24).

Mr Mackenzie-Farmer had lived in Kidderminster since 1966, when he brought his family from London to lecture at the Shenstone Teachers’ Training College in Bromsgrove.

Studying Physical Education at Loughborough, Cheltenham and Carnegie College Leeds, he was a lifelong sportsman, playing cricket for Singapore during National Service in the 1950s, and county class hockey in London and then for Kidderminster.

While in the Army Education Corps, he taught jungle survival in Malaya and educated the daughters of Lord Hunt, leader of the first Everest summit team while stationed in Egypt.

Among his specialist subjects at Shenstone, later re-named North Worcestershire College, he taught Mountain Leadership, Movement and Dance, Swimming, Sailing and Kayaking.

For many years he served as the head of education for the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) where he championed parent and baby swimming.

He authored the ASA’s earliest books on the subject and gave lessons to parents and babies at Kidderminster’s swimming pools long after he’d retired.

He also continued his love of mountaineering, being a Snowdonia National Park Warden, a member of the Snowdonia Mountain Rescue and exploring the hills he loved in North Wales.

He has been described as a "political animal", joining the Young Conservatives in the 1950s. Although a fan of Margaret Thatcher as PM, he campaigned against her earlier policy to keep the grammar school system in Kidderminster. He had witnessed the ‘levelling up’ that came with good comprehensive education in 1960s London and wanted the same equal chance for the children of Wyre Forest. So, he battled Thatcher and Sir Tatton Brinton MP, heading the Kidderminster Comprehensive Action Group, despite his children Neville and Siân studying at King Charles and the Girls High School.

In the 1980s, Tony was persuaded by his colleagues in the Wyre Forest Conservatives to run for Wyre Forest District council, where he was elected, eventually being made Mayor of Kidderminster in the early 80s.

He had been described as a staunch Tory, but an independent thinker, and it was his cross-party campaigning that resulted in the building of the Wyre Forest Leisure Centre in Kidderminster. He also helped run Neighbourhood Watch schemes around his home in Franche.

Proud of his Scottish heritage, Tony was President of the Kidderminster and District Scottish Society and was a keen Scottish and ballroom dancer. After retiring, he travelled the world, visiting many countries on every continent. But he always maintained his connections with Kidderminster and education, sitting on the board of Governors at King Charles I school well into his eighties.

Anthony MacKenzie-Farmer leaves behind two children, Neville and Siân, four grandchildren, Amy, Ellena, Meggie and Blake, and two great-grandchildren, Jude and Marnie.

His son Neville said: "Dad was a funny, strong-willed and creative man, a born teacher and a great father.

"He taught my sister Siân and I to be curious about the world and to play a part in the community, something he did throughout his life.

"We will miss him terribly but are so grateful for the time we had with him."