In Memoriam: David Campion, BA (Arch), Dip TP, FRIBA, MBCS, CITP

On 18 August 2020, Councillor David Campion passed away after a long illness. He was 86 years old. When he retired from his councillor seat in 2018, he had been the longest serving councillor in the borough. He sat as councillor for the Pembridge ward from 1964 to 2018, except for three years in the early 1970s when he spent much time working in Saudi Arabia: an impressive 51 years as councillor! He also served as RBKC mayor 1985-1986.

David Goring Campion was born in Norwich on 2 March 1934, and finished his education at Bradfield College, Berkshire. He then did National Service in the RAF as a fighter controller, stationed in Germany. In 1954 he moved to London to study architecture, and qualified as an architect from University College London in 1959, followed by part time study in town planning. As an architect he worked for several practices specialising in the design of hospitals and medical schools. These experiences finally lead to him work on a new major medical facility in Riyadh in 1972.

David fell in love with the Middle East, and once back in Kensington, he became instrumental in the creation of the Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in Acklam Road in Golborne in 2001. Prior to being one of the founders and trustees of Al-Manaar, he was for many years chairman of the Arabic-speaking Information and Advice Centre in the Golborne Road area.

Having lived in North Kensington since 1954, and in the Pembridge area since 1964, David became one of the founders of the Pembridge Association in 1972, and served as its chairman from 1979 to 1984 and again from 2002 to 2016.

He was also on the Ladbroke Association committee for many years, and was an active member of John Scott’s Notting Hill Gate Improvement Group. Much of the improvements we see today in Notting Hill Gate were the result of this community led group.

David also had an early interest in computing, and designed many of the first websites for various resident associations in Kensington, long before websites could be easily created and modified with ready-made software or directly online, using various templates.