We are receiving reports that veteran blaster Bob Daphne has passed away.
Nine months after we announced the loss of blaster Phil Lowe, the explosive demolition business has lost another of its characters: Bob Daphne.
We received an email from Geraint Totty late last night to advise us that Daphne had succumbed to cancer earlier this week in his adopted home of South Africa.
Together with Mike Perkin, Daphne had been a part of the “all-Yorkshire” tag team that pushed Ogdens to prominence in the UK blasting sector during the 1970s and 80s. Indeed, Daphne was one of those featured in the now infamous “day trip to Birkenhead” video.
The pair subsequently relocated to South Africa to form Wreckers, a multi-disciplined demolition company that retained their reputation for blasting expertise.
“With no ear drums left and forearms the size of tree trunks from his days on the rock drill Bob will be missed by many,” concludes Geraint Totty. “I reckon his contribution to the demolition industry is well worth a mention.”
