Ron Miles

Ron Miles grew up at 57 Lloyds Head, Jackfield, in the Ironbridge Gorge. He left school at 14 and went to work at Chillcott's, which was doing war work in part of the old Coalport China Works, and had five jobs before he turned 16. He then joined the Army, inspired by the uniforms of Scottish regiments he had seen on cigarette cards. When the recruiting officer in Shrewsbury told him those regiments recruited in Scotland, he joined the Coldstream Guards, serving for 11 years, including on guard at the Tower of London.

On leaving the Army, Miles worked as a travelling chiropodist, a job that brought him many stories about local history. He was a founder member of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum and volunteered there for more than 50 years, from early excavation work at the top of the Hay Inclined Plane to decades as a guide, later scaling back to guiding at Coalport. He gave illustrated talks and slide shows to organisations across Shropshire, especially Women's Institutes, and contributed to debate about the gorge, criticising the design of the Jackfield Bridge built in the 1990s. In 2012 the museum chose him to carry the Olympic Torch through Much Wenlock, making him the oldest torchbearer in Shropshire.

Miles was divorced and had three daughters: Lorraine Ford of Wellington, Susan Jones of Hadley and Christine Cox of Chichester. He later lived at Coalford, near Jackfield. He was president of the Jackfield branch of the Royal British Legion, ran the village lottery and went litter picking every Sunday. He raised money for the Severn Hospice and Hope House through zip wire slides, fire walking at RAF Cosford and abseils, including a 175ft descent of the Claerwen Dam at the age of 77. A love of travel that began with a 1960s package holiday to Spain took him to almost every country in the world.

Miles died aged 97. The Shropshire Star reported his death on 10 October 2026; the exact date and cause of death were not given. His funeral was arranged for 11.30am on 14 October 2026 at St Mary's Church, Jackfield, followed by a wake at the Black Swan. His daughter Lorraine said hundreds of people had posted tributes online, and that he would be cremated, with his ashes likely to be scattered from the Iron Bridge.

Miles's historical collections were given to the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, which he had served since its earliest days, and the Olympic Torch he carried in 2012 is also held by the museum. He is remembered in Jackfield as a tireless volunteer, storyteller and fundraiser.