The Eden Valley lost a man known for his love of the area, and the environment in general, with the death at the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, of Phil Reddy, of the Underground House, Heights, Appleby, aged 55.
He was perhaps most widely known because of his home, which is one of very few underground eco-houses in the country and remains one of the best remembered projects from the Channel 4 TV series Grand Designs.
Born and raised in Birmingham, he moved to the Eden area in the early 1990s, at first living at Mallerstang.
At that time he worked as a software developer for a CCTV company.
It was in 1998 that he met his future wife, Helen Gould, who had just started working as a vet at the Old Hall Veterinary Centre, Appleby, and they soon moved to live at Ormside.
They went on to have two children, Tom and Jake.
The couple were both keen to have an environmentally friendly home, but it was Phil who came up the idea of building it underground and, following a lengthy planning process, its construction started at Heights in 2002 and took just six months to complete.
By that time Phil was working for Cumbria Tourist Board and went on to become a strategic tourism manager for the Northwest Regional Development Agency a job he greatly enjoyed and one which gave him ample scope to exercise his considerable intellect.
He worked on many important projects in the region and also acted as an adviser to government on tourism matters.
He was a very keen cyclist who liked to push the limits of his endurance when out on his bike, and also enjoyed running, competing in a number of fell races in the Eden area. He loved good food and was a keen cook.
His other interests included DIY projects in the garden around the Underground House, his sports car, playing with his sons he especially enjoyed taking them to sites of historical interest reading and completing puzzles which exercised his mind.
He was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in 2009, but, following treatment, recovered enough to complete a 100-mile cycle ride from the NWDA offices in Penrith to those in Warrington with a group of colleagues and friends in September, raising more than £9,000 for cancer charities in the process.
Towards the end of his life he initiated the formation of a body called the Mobile Giving Trust, the aim of which is to encourage people using public footpaths to donate money for their repair and upkeep using their mobile phones. Trials of this scheme are set to go ahead later this year.
He is survived by his wife Helen and sons Tom and Jake, plus three sisters and a brother.
A celebration of Phil’s life is to be held at Carlisle crematorium on Monday at 11-40am.
Those planning to attend should not feel they have to wear sombre clothing, since Phil loved colour and individuality. Glyn Jones, funeral directors, Appleby, are in charge of arrangements.
