PIONEER WHO STOOD UP TO RIVERSIDE BULLYING

Brave Billy

Lyon

loses

his final fight

Tributes are being paid tonight to Billy Lyon who died at 2 am today at his flat in Sunnymeade, Upperby, Carlisle. He lived alone and had suffered from cancer for some time. He was due to go into a hospice later today.

Many of the tributes praised  Billy`s fight against the bullying Riverside Housing Association. His daughter Belinda said tonight:”Dad was prepared to stand up to Riverside when others would go along with what Riverside told them.”

Sadly, Billy blamed Riverside for causing his illness.

Belinda was with Billy when he died. His two sons and two other daughters had visited him yesterday. Belinda is handling funeral arrangements.

Billy worked in the building industry until latterly when he did factory work. He was 68 and retired three years ago.

Billy was a Riverside leaseholder and a staunch supporter of Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation, a community group which  has fought for justice for tenants and leaseholders since that inefficient and dictatorial Liverpool property development organisation took over Carlisle`s 6,000 council houses  14 years ago.

Before his illness Billy had never missed a Federation meeting and regularly travelled to Longtown to support meetings of Longtown Action for Heat- the protest group  of  60 angry Riverside tenants who were unable to afford to heat their  faulty homes.

Jimmy Robb, Chairman of Longtown Action for Heat said tonight: “Billy was a  loyal friend of the Longtown tenants. He was the salt of the earth.”

More tributes are expected at the Federation meeting  later this month and at a meeting next month of Cumbria Riverside Action Group (CRAG) in Carlisle Cathedral Close.

CRAG owes its existence to Billy`s persistence and pioneering work in fighting Riverside`s abuses.

When everything else failed  in protests against Riverside, he sought the help from the Bishop of Carlisle (Rt Rev. James Newcome) and those groups  fighting Riverside were brought together for the first time as CRAG, under the chairmanship of Canon Michael Manley, the Cathedral Missioner and Rural Dean.


 
Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803.