My friend Stewart McGough, who has died aged 74, was an architect with a special focus on access for people with disabilities. He worked on Wembley Stadium and was employed as an expert on design for disabled people during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Stewart’s career began in the architects’ department at Manchester city council (1974-79). From there he went on to design house adaptations for disabled people in the building control department at Meirionnydd district council (1979-86) in north Wales.
In 1986 he joined the London borough of Brent as a specialist disabled access designer, working on Wembley Stadium and the establishment of the Access Committee for England. He then worked as an architect at Telford borough council from 1990 until he took early retirement in 2004.
Stewart co-wrote the part M building regulations (for disability design) with Selwyn Goldsmith for a revised edition of the definitive textbook Designing for the Disabled (1997). He also worked with, among others, Aedas Design Consultancy and contributed to research papers.
Born in Glasgow, the only child of Jessie (nee Stewart) and Jimmy McGough, a technical salesman, Stewart was seven when the family moved to Manchester, where he attended Manchester Central grammar school for boys.
In 1967, he went to study architecture at Manchester College of Art and Design, where he became the college social secretary, booking bands and artists such as the Who, 10cc and Marc Bolan. Stewart was also an accomplished drummer (his father was a champion Scottish pipe band drummer), often playing as guest second drummer for the bands he booked.
While at MCAD, Stewart met and married Judy Idle and in 1973 they had a daughter, Sally. Stewart and Jude separated amicably in 1974 (and later divorced), jointly raising Sally, who loved joining Stewart on his many forays to the record stalls at Shudehill market in Manchester.
In 1978 Stewart met Christine (Chris) Conroy, and the following year they relocated to mid-Wales. When Chris began an osteopathy course in London in 1986, Stewart moved with her. Tower Records in Piccadilly proved irresistible, and his record collection grew. After Chris began to practise osteopathy in Machynlleth, he moved to Wellington, Shropshire, in 1990. The couple separated around 1993.
Stewart remained in Wellington, where he had strong ties with the local community. In 2018 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The same year he met Lesley Fox through the Pluckers, a group of friends who met at the Pheasant pub, and in 2020 they began a relationship, sharing a love of the Shropshire countryside and a great sense of humour. He continued to lead an active life, with his passion for more obscure reggae artists reflected in his growing record collection, which finally stood at more than 6,000.
Stewart is survived by Lesley, Sally, his grandchildren, Max, Estelle and Maisy, and his great-grandchildren, Emelia, Aanyah, Troy and Priyah.
