My friend and neighbour Toby Murcott, who has died suddenly aged 60, was a man of many gifts but he was above all a zestful explainer of difficult subjects. He was a BBC science news reporter and producer on both Radio 4 and the World Service and, even after leaving the corporation staff, ran several of radio’s most popular scientific programmes.
He produced many editions of Home Planet, which for 12 years (until 2012) used a panel to answer listeners’ environmental questions with the same good-natured erudition that epitomised Toby. He also helped launch and produced The Human Zoo (2013), on psychology, and also worked on Connect (2007), which explored people’s relationship with technology.
“He could unpick complexities for lesser mortals like me in a very accessible way,” said Peter Hoare, the founder of Pier Productions, which made the programmes. “But always with due diligence and rigour. He had a masterful touch in separating the real science from the woowoo.” For several years he also wrote a column in the Times evaluating complementary treatments such as the healing properties of ginger and whether marigold paste cures bunions.
Toby was born in Edinburgh and grew up in Wales, the elder son of Kenneth, a teacher, and Anne (nee Latutin), a sociologist. He studied biochemistry at the University of York, did a PhD in the subject at Bristol and had a spell as a TV researcher before joining the BBC.
In 2008 he married Sian Howells and they moved to a cottage in south Herefordshire shortly before the birth of their daughter, Dilys. The family revelled in the landscape and everything in it; Toby was especially fond of fungi. His mission to explain found an outlet teaching science at Monmouth school for girls and he also made himself indispensable to the community.
He became chairman of the Abbeydore & Bacton parish council and was known as an expert on broadband. He was a campaigner for improving the service across the Golden Valley, where many homes still endure primeval speeds after years of broken promises. His expertise was a match for any official and small skirmishes were won, but he died with the battle far from over.
However, his determination on this issue gave him a reputation in local political circles. And after the death of the vet turned ward councillor Peter Jinman, Toby was invited to defend his seat on behalf of the pinky-green Independents for Herefordshire.
On the doorstep, he impressed voters with his charm and obvious integrity. But in the midst of the campaign he fell ill, and died unexpectedly in hospital. His conscientiousness and tenacity would have made him an excellent councillor.
He is survived by Sian, Dilys, his mother and his brother, Dominic.
