Ken Luxon, a former charity worker and passionate storyteller, found his true calling as a tour guide in Bath and Bristol, where he entertained visitors with tales of Regency life and local history until his sudden death at the age of 66.
Born in Hammersmith, west London, Ken was the eldest of four children to Christine (nee Archer), an adult education tutor, and Alec Luxon, a civil engineer. He grew up in the United Reformed Church but later joined the Methodist Church after marrying Pearl Willoughby in 1983.
Early life and career
From his teenage years, Ken enjoyed performing in church and school productions, as well as amateur dramatics societies. This interest later evolved into a love of storytelling, which he pursued by joining groups and telling stories in various locations for every occasion.
After attending Moat Mount school in Mill Hill, north-west London, Ken began working with homeless people. He completed a placement with the Cyrenians in Newcastle (now Changing Lives) and then worked at the East End Mission, where he met Pearl, a project worker for homeless women and children.
In 1989, Ken earned a social work diploma at East London Polytechnic (now the University of East London) and subsequently worked at the Ravenswood Foundation, a charity supporting people with learning difficulties, in Stanmore, north-west London, until 1997.
Transition to storytelling and tour guiding
Ken's passion for storytelling led him into the world of tour guiding, which he embraced with enthusiasm. He worked on tour buses in Bath, entertaining visitors with tales of Regency life. He also portrayed Brunel on the SS Great Britain in Bristol one summer and conducted tours of bomb shelters in the city, as well as John Wesley's New Room, the oldest Methodist building in the world.
When Pearl decided to train for the ministry in 1997, Ken fully supported her by taking on more parenting duties while continuing to work for Citizens Advice, Age UK, and Parkinson's UK. The family moved around over the next few years but settled in Bristol in 2015, a city Ken loved.
Later work and community involvement
In addition to tour guiding, Ken served as a lay preacher and regularly led services and told stories in the Methodist Circuits. From 2021, he worked as a technology adviser and activities facilitator for the charity Alive, helping older people navigate the digital world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked on a project to improve connections for people in care homes, creating videos designed to invoke memories and support reminiscence.
Ken was a kind family man, known for wearing colourful waistcoats and for his love of dogs, film, music, and books. He is survived by Pearl, their two daughters, Saz and Deb, his father, and his sisters, Rachel, Jenny, and the author of this obituary.
