Old Tamensians: Obituaries |
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Updated November 2008 Andy Arnold (1967
– 73) became ill towards the end of October, and was taken to the A &
E department of the Isle on Man hospital. ANDREW ARNOLD, just 52, died on 30 September, nine days after he had
suffered a major brain haemorrhage. His funeral service, in a packed parish
church at Ballaugh on the Isle of Man, was held on 9 October, and a
thanksgiving service was held in St Mary’s, Thame, the following week, when
Andy’s ashes were interred in his father’s grave. His old Housemaster, Norman
Lilley, took the service in Thame. Andy was born in 1956 and attended Lord Williams’s from 1967 until
1973. After a brief period in a local solicitor’s office, Andy joined the
RAF, and spent the next 22 years “driving everything, everywhere”, and
organising Motor Transport. He saw service all over the world, including
Berlin in the time of the Cold War and the Berlin Wall, Ascension Island
during the Falklands Conflict, Hong Kong, and a number of bases in Britain.
The most important part of his job was acting as driver to a succession of
the most senior figures in the RAF: because he had intelligence and humour,
and could be trusted implicitly, he became their friend and a greatly valued
member of the service team. Whilst in Hong Kong, Andy’s talent at speaking – virtually non-stop
and ad-lib if necessary – was recognised by a radio producer, who invited
Andy to broadcast part-time for the British Forces Broadcasting Service. The
‘Andy Arnold Breakfast Show’ became something of a cult favourite amongst
both the local Chinese and expatriate British listeners, not least because of
Andy’s ability to imitate voices. His ‘Prince Charles’ was more lifelike than
the real thing! Andy and his wife moved to the Isle of Man three and a half years ago.
Once again, Andy started broadcasting, initially part-time, this time on Manx
Radio. He was about to become their full time employee. His long experience
and expertise meant that he could compere programmes, as well as acting as
producer and schedule organiser. His fostering of raw talent included
persuading his brother to write many “Thought for the Day” scripts! Andy was a ‘doer’, frequently for the great benefit of other people,
employing his drive, tenacity and humour to make things happen. He was
President of the Old Tamensians in 1984-85. Andy leaves a wife, Carole, who has decided to remain on the Isle of
Man, and a daughter, Natasha. As a marvellous postscript to a life of dedicated service: Andy’s
liver and kidneys have already benefited three transplant patients, and three
of his heart valves have been placed in a heart bank ready for use in
neonatal reconstructive surgery. Professor Desmond Slay, who died on May 20, 2004 aged 76,
was a leading authority on Icelandic literature, and his scholarship and work
in tracking down the great manuscript Codex Scardensis ensured that this
significant treasure was saved for the Icelandic nation. Slay's research was devoted to the
meticulous study of the Icelandic manuscripts in which the Norse texts are
preserved. His earliest major project was on one of the better-known sagas,
Hrólfs saga kraka, which produced a monograph on the manuscripts of the saga
in 1960. His approach of studying the entire
history of the text's transmission, taking into account manuscript copies
that had been considered secondary, anticipated by decades ideas which were
later promoted as the "New Philology" of the 1990s. Slay's study of the saga was
accompanied by an edition of the text that set the standard for subsequent
scholarly editions of Norse texts. Shortly after his retirement, his edition
of Mírmanns saga appeared in the same Arnamagnæan series. Equally important was Slay's work on
making facsimiles of manuscripts available. He collaborated with the leading
Icelandic scholar Jón Helgason on a published facsimile of Alexanders saga
that appeared in 1966, and, in 1972, published a facsimile of a volume of
Romances in the Royal Library of Stockholm. However, his most dramatic
achievement as a textual authority came while he was still working on Hrólfs
saga kraka, when he succeeded in tracking down the manuscript Codex
Scardensis, containing the medieval Lives of the Apostles. This was known to
have left Iceland in the nineteenth century and to have been in the library
of Sir Thomas Phillips at Thirlestaine House, Cheltenham, in the early 1890s. At the urging of Jón Helgason he
investigated what had happened to the volume, and managed to trace it via the
sale in 1945 to its then owners, whose permission and cooperation he obtained
in having the manuscript photographed for the publication of a facsimile.
When it came up for auction again in 1965 the Icelanders were therefore fully
alerted to the details of its existence, and a consortium of Icelandic banks
was able to purchase the Codex and, subsequently, to present it to the
Icelandic nation. In the small but intense circle of
Icelandic literary scholarship, Slay was regarded as having played a key role
in retrieving a treasure for the nation. His services to Iceland's medieval
heritage were recognised with the award of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon
on the occasion of the centenary of the Viking Society in 1992. Desmond Slay was born on December 30
1927 at Thame, Oxfordshire, and educated at Lord William's Grammar School,
Thame, and St Catherine's College, Oxford, from which he graduated with a
First in English in 1948. Research into medieval Norse
literature in Britain moved into an exceptionally strong phase in the 1950s,
as a new generation of specialists found jobs in the post-War university
system. After graduation, Slay took up a lectureship at the University
College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where the subject was already being promoted
by the colourful figure of Gwyn Jones. After taking his doctorate, Slay
remained at Aberystwyth for the rest of his career, becoming Rendel Professor
of English Language and Literature in 1978. Slay served on numerous committees
of the university, including the Court of Governors, and also held the
position of Dean of the Faculty of Arts. While serving on the committee which
oversaw an expansion of the university buildings, he ensured that the office
of the Head of the English Department, of which he would be the first
occupant, had a commanding view around Cardigan Bay. Away from Aberystwyth, Slay became
involved with the Viking Society for Northern Research, based in London,
during its long association with the Arnamagnæan Institute in Copenhagen, and,
more recently, with Stofnun Árna Magnússonar in Reykjavik. He served the
Viking Society in many capacities, as president from 1970 to 1972, and
especially as co-editor of its journal, Saga-Book, from 1978 to his death. In his editorial work he insisted
upon the same high standards for published academic work as he imposed upon
his own research, though his criticism was always kindly and accompanied by
constructive suggestions for how work could be improved. He was impatient
only with incurable pretentiousness. Slay had many interests outside his
academic career. In his youth he was a keen rugby player and he played
basketball into his late sixties. He much regretted (due to the dwindling
number of his peers) that he was not still playing basketball in his
seventieth year. A dedicated supporter of the Scout
Association from his own days as a boy scout, he served, for over 30 years,
as Chairman of 4th Aberystwyth Scout Group, as Secretary of North Ceredigion
District and finally as Secretary of Ceredigion Area Scout Council, a post at
which he continued to work from his sick bed. His valuable contributions to the
movement were acknowledged with the Medal of Merit, the Long Service Award
and, earlier this year, the Association's second highest award, the Silver
Acorn, which Slay was due to have received in a surprise presentation on the
day that he died. Desmond Slay married, in 1958,
Leontia McCartan, who survives him with their daughter and four sons. (From
the Daily Telegraph) John Fulkes 1949 - 2004 Michael Spencer, Head Teacher of
Lord Williams’s, where John had taught since 1975, contributed the following
tribute: John Fulkes was someone who always
put everyone else before himself. He was a deeply loved man who inspired
young people to do great things. Generations of students passing through the
school owe a great deal to John Fulkes. He developed their love of
literature, motivated them to great deeds on the sports field, helped to sort
out their tangled lives and, most of all, supported them in the belief that
they could go on to achieve their potential in the world. In this foreword to
the Sixth Form Year Book, he says: "…the school is summed up in so many
of you – young people with energy and enthusiasm yet caring and sensitive
all-rounders, able to cope, stand on your own feet and get things done for
yourselves and your community." John Fulkes believed that every
young person had the potential to be successful. He never gave up on any
individual. In that sense he was the embodiment of the school motto: Sic Itur
Ad Astra…A Tous Venaunts – translated as ‘Thus the way to the stars..for
all-comers.’ He dedicated his life to young people. John Fulkes was born and bred in
Thame (13.06.49), the only child of Mr and Mrs G Fulkes, who ran the bakery
and post office in Park Street. He attended the John Hampden Primary School
before moving to Lord Williams’s Grammar School as a pupil in 1959. He then
went on to study English and English Literature at Trinity College, Oxford
before training as a teacher at Nottingham University. After teaching for four years at
Sutton Manor High School in Surrey, John Fulkes joined the staff at Lord
Williams’s School as an Assistant English Master, in 1975. Norman Lilley, a
former Science Master and Head of House at the school, remembers John Fulkes
as a pupil and said that his desire to come and teach at his former school
was partly in gratitude for all that it had done for him as a pupil and that
this was a way of giving something back. John Fulkes became Head of Sixth
Form (where he was know affectionately by the students as ‘JF’) in 1985. He was a single man whose life
revolved around his passions of education, cricket, drama and literature,
Lord Williams’s School and the community of Thame. Following a period of a
few years as a Town Councillor in the 1980s, he became Mayor of Thame in
1985. He was a great advocate of the community and was a driving force in
developing Lord Williams’s School as a community school. He ran the school 1st
XI cricket team for many years and nurtured successive generations of young
talent. He was ahead of his time in forming links between school and the
local club and County Cricket Associations. John was Chairman of Thame
Cricket Club at the time of his death, having been a key figure in the club
ever since he returned to Thame to teach. He was extremely influential in
Oxfordshire cricket and was a member of the Oxfordshire Cricket Board. He was
a team manager of the Oxfordshire U14 County Cricket XI, and both Secretary
and Treasurer of the Oxfordshire Youth Cricket Committee. He was a qualified
umpire and would also frequently be seen mowing the field or preparing the
pitch. John Fulkes also organised all Oxfordshire Schools County Cricket
competitions. His love of drama and English
Literature was manifested in his teaching and his active participation in
drama activities. He regularly participated in the Crendon Mystery Plays and
in the past had produced many plays at Lord Williams’s Lower school. As a
pupil in the school he played the lead role in the World Premier of a Noel
Coward play, directed in the school by Gerard Gould. Among many, many tributes paid to
‘JF’ by sixth formers in the school, is the following: "You gave us all exactly what
we needed – support, kindness, advice, discipline, a second, third or fourth
chance if we needed it. But to me and countless others you were first and
foremost a friend." Peter O’Neill, the President of
Thame Town Cricket Club, said: "I would like to place on record the
tremendous contribution that John made to the club over the many years that
he was associated with it. His enthusiasm and commitment was second to none
and much of the club’s current success is due to him. His death is a tremendous shock for
the club in particular and cricket in the wider community. Our thoughts are
with his mother and family at this very sad time. Simon Porter, Chairman of the
Oxfordshire Cricket Board, added: "John was a totally committed
supporter of Oxfordshire Youth Cricket for very many years (over 25). He was
both Secretary and Treasurer of the Oxfordshire Youth Committee and very many
young Oxfordshire cricketers had much for which to thank him. He is a great
loss and will be much missed by all in Oxfordshire cricket." Gerad Gould: It was not very often
that one could detect a potential English Literature specialist as well as a
young actor among pupils in their first year of secondary schooling. In the
case of John Fulkes this hunch was fully justified later on. In his first
year he played a walk-on part in "Cyrano de Bergerac." Shakespeare
came later. Meanwhile, John enjoyed his school life and made valuable
contributions in all subjects of the curriculum, but his overriding passion
was the game of cricket. Once he had begun his Sixth Form studies, John
responded very positively to our suggestion that he might try for a place at
Oxford University. He was not quite sure whether to read History or English.
English won. There were two other English scholars in his year, and the three
of them shared an enthusiasm for Literature. John tried for a place at
Trinity College, Oxford, where the English Don was known to have a particular
understanding of students who applied from small state schools. The most
important part of the entry exam was an extended interview. John was very
amused by one of the questions he was asked: "What would you say to
Willie Wordsworth if you bumped into him in a wood?" That was just the
sort of question that John's sense of humour enjoyed. He was one of four
students who were awarded places to read English at Trinity. Other
opportunities had arisen in our Drama programme. We mounted a production of
Tolstoy's epic "War and Peace" in which John gave a delightful
performance as Pierre Bezukhov, the shy, intellectual Russian aristocrat who
hero worshipped Napoleon. A year later, in the middle of his A level studies,
he took on the all-demanding role of Hamlet, and in 1967 came another
challenge - the world premiere of Noel Coward's unknown play "Post
Mortem" about the first world war, with special permission of the
author. In this play John played the leading part of a young officer who,
between being wounded and dying in the trenches, has a dream of returning in
1930, the year in which the play was written, to visit his mother, his
fiancee, his friends and father. The play attracted a lot of publicity,
including a bevy of London critics descending on Lord Williams's for the
press night as well as a special T programme. John coped with all that and
gave a memorably moving performance. After Oxford and a Diploma of Education
year at Nottingham John became a teacher of English at Sutton School, Surrey.
I was very pleased when a few years later he applied for a vacancy in my
English Department at Lord Williams's. His work there will be reported in
another obituary. Dear John - my farewell to you must be Horatio's to Hamlet:
"Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy
rest." Barry Yates has written: I had known
John all his life. Although he is 3 years younger than me, we grew up
together as we both lived as small boys and teenagers in Park St. His parents
owned Jackmans Stores which is now the post office, and his aunt lived next
door to us. When my father died in January John kindly made the funeral
address / tribute which he did in his usual brilliant way, and in preparing
for that we spent a couple of evenings here reminiscing about those times and
others involving Thame Cricket Club. When we moved back to Thame in 1984,
John persuaded me to get involved with the OTA and become a John Hampden trustee.
Without John I am sure the OTA would not be so strong, and indirectly the OT
Golf Society would not have been formed. Our friendship was cemented when our
youngest Gavin was simultaneously Head Boy & captain of cricket at Lord
Bills, and captain of Thame CC youth cricket teams. So you will understand
that Andrea and I are feeling a sense of great loss which we know is being
shared with so many, many others. Marie-Claude and I were very
saddened and upset by the news of John's sudden death. Although we cannot
attend the funeral, we shall be there in thought and would be grateful if you
would pass on our deepest sympathy to his mother. I am pretty sure I joined
LWS / LSW at the same time as he did in 1974 and was his colleague for 18
years. Michael Beech I'm so sorry to hear of the death of
John Fulkes. I was two forms above him at school, but did not know him well.
However, his reputation goes before him and he will be sadly missed by LWS,
OTA, and the charities and sports clubs he supported so energetically.
Regards, Mike Barrett. Thank you for the information about
John Fulkes. We had already heard through another OT member, Derrick Hester.
Desmond will be unable to take part or to be at the funeral, he is ill at the
moment and cannot travel. I know that he will wish to send a donation and I
will sort that out with him as soon as possible Please pass our condolences
on. Sincerely, Leontia Slay I had already heard of JF's death as
my youngest cousin is currently the lower sixth, but was very touched that you
thought to enclose the obits. JF never taught me, but he was a very
perceptive man who, when I was a prefect, told me, much to my disbelief, that
I was a "doer". I feel sad to think that I never took the
opportunity to return and tell him that eventually he was right. Nicola Rudd
(nee Haynes) '81-'88 It is very sad and shocking news. I
remember teaching John French as a pupil, seeing him in the three great Gould
productions, and cheering him on to Trinity College and Dennis Burden (his
tutor). But best of all was having the chance to appoint him to the staff of
LWS. He was a real trooper and the best kind of schoolmaster. Every school of
stature needs a long serving and dedicated teacher. LWGS had two, the first
in the form of Howard Brown, the second John Fulkes; and of course, Peter
More, Norman Lilley, Gerard Gould and Norman Good all did wonderfully long
and successful stints at the school also. Even I did 15 years there but that
was as nothing compared with those other pedagogical giants! Yours ever Geoff
Goodall Extremely saddened to hear this
news. John put me and fellow students through our English A Level paces in
1978/79. He was an exceptional teacher - he could breath life into the most
dry and sterile of texts. His talents, I'm sure, will be greatly missed by
the school. Alison Brennan (Newbitt) A. W. (Bill) Higgs died in 2003. His daughter Rosalind
Ebdon (nee Higgs) wrote: "I write to inform you of the death of my
father in October last year. He attended Lord Williams's, as a scholarship
boy, in the early 1930s - I think he started in September 1929. He was always
proud to be associated with the school and in his adult life served as clerk
to the governors for many years, but it was only recently that I became aware
that he had kept up his contacts through the OTA. My parents were active
members of the community in Thame from the mid 40s until 1979 when they
retired to SuffoIk. Dad was in the 'Special' police and busy at Thame Cricket
Club and at St Mary's Church. Mum taught first at the Thame Secondary School
in Southern Road and then at John Hampden Junior and Infant schools. I grew
up in Thame during the 1950s and 60s and went to Holton Park (1962-9); I was
interested to see some familiar names in the OT Newsletter that was recently
forwarded to me from my father's last address. I went with him on a number of
occasions to the Founder's Day Service during the 1960s which always
concluded with a rousing rendition of For All the Saints - a favourite hymn
of dad's which was sung at his funeral. I have visited Thame again recently
after many years and there are a lot of changes but I know there are
still a good number of people who remember my parents. It would be
interesting to hear from contemporaries. I was interested to see the name of
John Fulkes in the Newsletter. My mother a teacher at John Hampden School for
many years between 1955 and 1979, has fond memories of him as a pupil of hers
in the first year junior class. She outlives my father and is now living in a
Care Home. I believe Jennifer Morel (Youens) whose name also appears in that
newsletter was another of her ex-pupils." Ivor Shrimpton 1925-2003. Jane, Paul, Nicola,
Steve, Freddy, Cecily and Ellie lost a most loving and loved husband, father,
father-in-law and grandfather. It is difficult to accept that he has gone
from our lives, but he leaves behind the memory of an incredibly generous,
outgoing and caring man with a tremendous zest for life. His main concern was
always for the family first and foremost, he was immensely proud of his children
and supported them through a few difficult times in their lives. Ivor was
born in 1925 to May and Harvey Shrimpton and was their only child as they
were both elderly parents. Consequently, he was the apple of their eye but
always maintained he was never spoilt just over indulged! He grew up in a
very different Thame to the one we know now, and was even able to roller
skate in the middle of Upper High Street! He attended firstly an infant
school run by a Miss Plater, then (to his slight embarrassment in later
years) the Girls' Grammar School, before eventually arriving at lord
Williams's. We think his main enjoyment there was cross country running but
he did, of course, meet other pupils who were to become lifelong friends. He
was a great supporter of the Old Tamensians Association and, for many years,
had been on the Committee. He thoroughly enjoyed helping to organise the
successful reunions for his year that have been held recently. Mark Ansell
wrote to Jane "Mr. Shrimpton was a lovely man, always happy to help me
find the ball in his garden when I kicked it over. He has inspired me to get
involved in the Old Tamensians' Association and I was elected on to the
Committee." After school, Ivor spent a short while as a police cadet in
Thame. He told many stories of his time there. On one occasion he had to
follow a minor criminal and promptly lost him! He was then called-up and
joined the R.A.O.C.. He always maintained that that was a lucky period in his
life as he spent the war years at Bicester Garrison and, after the war, was
sent to North Africa! He was delighted to discover a few years ago that there
was a cruise ship visiting that area so he and Jane took their one and only
cruise and were able to visit Benghazi and Tripoli where he found that little
had changed in over 50 years! After the army he spent a brief period working
for the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket but prospects didn't look good so he
returned home and became a buyer at Pressed Steel in Cowley. Shortly after
this he met Jane whilst they were on a train travelling through Paris en
route to Menton in the south of France. They were married in 1952. In 2002,
Ivor being a true romantic arranged a secret trip back to Menton for their
Golden Wedding, which was organised with military position but with the sole
intention, as with everything else he undertook, of doing it right. This
time, much to Jane's delight and surprise, the family was also on the
Eurostar! Ivor retired in 1988 and the years have been filled with many
activities. Visits were made to Canada, Denmark and America several times.
One of his ambitions was to take his then 2 grandchildren to Disney world in
Florida, and this was achieved much to his and their delight. He also loved
France and spent many happy holidays there with good friends. His main
interests were; talking to people, vegetable gardening, the financial world,
pub lunches with friends (especially the special offers) and cricket. For
many years he never missed a test match at Lord's and in 1981, when on a
41-club tour of South Africa, he was introduced to their last test captain
before the political ban. Peter subsequently became a friend and has visited
us in Thame several times. For several years, he did film ' extra' work and
if we didn't blink we could spot him in several Morse films, a James Bond and
in "Goodnight Mr Tom". He and John Thaw were in a short scene alone
together! He also helped at the finish of the London Marathon for 17 years.
If he had been younger and fitter he would have loved to have taken part. However,
in 1992 he completed 25 1/2 miles in the Chiltern Marathon Challenge with no
preparation beforehand and without proper walking shoes. Admittedly he could
hardly get out of bed the next day! Ivor was involved in many organisations.
He was a Freemason, a 41-Club member, the British Legion, and a committee
member of Thame Show. The Show meant a lot to him and he was over the moon
when made an honorary life member in 2001. Over recent years, he and Jane had
become members of Thame Historical Society and had enjoyed many outings and
visits with them. We are grateful that he did enjoy life to the full and
that, in his last month, he saw little Ellie - a much longed for baby for
Nicola and Steve. We have received so many cards and letters, which have
touched us deeply and, time and time again, these words have been mentioned -
an enquiring mind and a genuine interest in everybody and everything. Just a
lovely man and a perfect gentleman and things will never be the same without
Ivor. As a family we know he had faults but many virtues. He rarely spoke ill
of anyone, if he made a promise he would go through hell and high water to
keep it, and he treated everyone the same whatever their walk of life. After
the initial sadness of his passing has gone, we hope you will remember him
with a smile, as we know many of you will think of the times he made you
laugh. Mike Bull: Oh dear. I didn't
know Ivor had been ill, let alone died. Another old friend passed over. Not
too many of us left now. His dad and mine were in the QOOH (queer objects on
horseback aka the Oxfordshire Hussars in WW!). We were in the kindergarten at
Thame GGS in the early thirties and he impressed me very much about 1933 by
saying how worried he was about Hitler. I've never forgotten that. I'll try to
get to his funeral on the 18th. Mark Ansell: (left 2003) Mr
Shrimpton was a lovely man, always willing to help me find the football when
I accidentally kicked it into his garden. Once, not so long ago, we spent
twenty minutes looking for the football in his hedge! He was very friendly to
both young and old and was highly respected by myself and all the Ansell
family. WING COMMANDER PETER PARROTT, who died aged 83, won a DFC and
Bar as a fighter pilot during the Second World War, when he was officially
credited with six "kills"; he was later awarded an AFC as a test
pilot on early jet fighters. Parrott had joined 607 Squadron in France in
January 1940, aged 20, to fly Gloster Gladiators. The squadron was soon
re-equipped with Hurricanes, with Parrott ferrying the first one from Rouen
to Vitry-en-Artois on April 8. "I was the only pilot in the squadron who
had flown a Hurricane and the most junior," he recalled. "So the
squadron had only a bare four weeks with the Hurricane before we were embroiled
in the most disorganised, chaotic week or 10 days of action. Few, if any, of
our pilots had sufficient experience on the type to be classed as
operational." On a sortie on May 10, the day on which the blitzkkrieg
came to the Low Countries, Parrott claimed two Heinkel 111s destroyed and
another 2 damaged. In May 26 over Dunkirk – 4 days before the start of
evacuation – he was hit by return fire after damaging a Heinkel 111. His
engine seized up as he crossed the coast, and He landed in a field at Great
Monge-DF ham, near Deal. Following the German victory in France, Parrott was
soon in the thick of the action during the Battle of Britain. On July 18 he
shared an He 111 ‘kill’; on August 8 he claimed an Me 109 and a Ju 87
destroyed; and on August 12 a Ju 88 destroyed. In September he was posted to
605 Squadron at Croydon and awarded the DFC. Peter Lawrence Parrott was born
at Aylesbury, Bucks, on June 28 1920 into a family of local solicitors. After
Lord Williams’s Grammar School, where he was a boarder, he joined the RAF on
a short service commission in June 1938. He began his ab initio course at
Hatfield, flying for the first time on his eighteenth birthday. Posted to
Shawbury on September 3, he trained as a fighter pilot on Hawker Hart and
Audax biplanes. His first tour was at Catfoss, towing targets with the Hawker
Henley. He then converted to Hurricanes at St Athan before joining 607
Squadron at the beginning of 1940. After the Battle of Britain, Parrott
continued flying with 605 Squadron, and on December 1, while acting as a
weaver, he was jumped by an Me 109 and his Hurricane was damaged; he dived to
3,000ft and, fearing a fire, baled out at low level over East Hoathly. He
stayed with 605 Squadron until the summer of 194 1, when he began a 12-month
stint as a flying instructor, followed by a year-long tour at Hullavington
with the RAF Handling Squadron, preparing pilots' notes for new aircraft
types. He was awarded a bar to his DFC and served in Italy until his return
to Britain in 1946. He began training as a test pilot in that year. He
test-flew early versions of the Vampire and Meteor. The casualty rate among
test pilots in the early jet fighters was high, but Parrott survived to earn
his AFC in 1952. During the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, he led an overland
convoy of British civilians fleeing to Turkey. During the 1972 Arab-Israeli
War, Parrott flew to Uganda to collect Idi Amin. He was interrogated as a
spy, before being recognised. In 1973, he worked as a training advisor in
Britain until his retirement in 1983. He married, in 1948, Mary Dunning. They
had a daughter and a son, who served in the Fleet Air Arm. Peter Parrott died
on August 27 2003. James Horace A’Bear, known as 'Horace', who was born in
1879. After completing his education at Thame Grammar School in 1894, Horace
began a four-year apprenticeship with Messrs Joseph & Alfred Eagleston,
Ironmongers of St Clements in the City of Oxford. A copy of the indenture
shows that his apprenticeship was completed and deemed “very satisfactory”.
During his younger years Rene recalls he was keen on sport, especially
rowing. He was appointed to an ironmongery business in Oxford and then in
1903 went to the West Country as a Traveller for the Iron and Hardware
business. Later in 1906 he joined A. C. Guilding in his business in Southgate
Street, Gloucester – Messrs Jennings & Guilding. Horace married Nellie
Winstone at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in 1911, where Nellie’s father was
an established farmer. They settled in
Gloucester, at 13 Sandhurst Road, and in due course raised four children,
Lottie (1912), John (1913), Charles(1916) and Nellie (known as ‘Rene’)
(1921). During the First World War, Horace managed
a factory for armaments in Gloucestershire, where most of the employees were
necessarily women, but his main occupation was working in the ironmongery
business. In 1922 when the firm extended their business to Northgate Street,
Horace took over this branch and continued working there to within three
weeks of his death. In 1926 the family moved to the Cotswold village of
Painswick about seven miles south of Gloucester (famous for its ninety-nine
yew trees) and lived in a property called “The Rigg”. In fact, Nellie
inherited the money which paid for their new house to be built, resulting in
her becoming very house-proud. Nellie was always interested in Drama. She
used to take elocution lessons from a Professor Roberts in Gloucester, and
enjoyed playing subsidiary parts in local amateur dramatic performances,
particularly in later years. Horace enjoyed sport generally, and was keenly
interested in rugby football, bowls and golf. For many years he was a member
of the committee for Gloucester Rugby Football Club. He was fully involved in
the social life of Painswick, being Chairman of the Painswick Institute
Committee and a member of the Painswick Bowling Club. He also served as the
Honorary Secretary of the Painswick Golf Club. Horace died in 1945, just two
weeks after his eldest sister Janet May. Nellie died in 1958. Photographs Robin ( Mouse ) Dawson 1950 -1957 died aged 63 in
September 2003. After taking Maths and Physics "A" levels he joined
the Atomic Research Station at Harwell. He spent his entire working career of
35 years at various laboratories on the site finishing up a a Senior
Scientific Officer. He then retired to Wareham in Dorset with his wife Sarah
(ex Holton Park G.S ) to indulge in his passion of sailing, owning a sea
going boat. His children and grandchildren were frequent visitors.
Unfortunately he suffered badly from osteo-arthritis and had to have various
joints replaced which contributed to the septicemia that was his cause of
death. Geoffrey Arthur Chaplin was born in Headcorn, Kent, on 10th
April 1917, the son of Arthur William Chaplin, a local grocer, and his
teacher wife May. Arthur was something of a Winston Churchill look-a-like who
“may not run to large cigars but has the same flare for getting things
done". Geoff attended Judd School in Tonbridge from 1927 - 1935, being
Head Boy in his final year. In 1937 he graduated BSc in Chemistry and Pure
and Applied Maths from Goldsmith's College, London, and the following year
gained a University Teaching Diploma. He held several supply teaching posts
in the south-east of England until he commenced military service in January
1940. He was perhaps fortunate that he was not required to go much further
than Brighton in the course of his contribution to the war effort. Most of
his service was with REME, working on the development of coastal radar
equipment. Other talents came to the fore and it may come as a surprise to
some to learn that on one posting he "effectively represented his Corps
at sprinting and other sports". He made time in 1942 to marry Amy Ruth
Kingsford, a young Kentish woman who had also studied at Goldsmith's College.
They settled in Folkestone and were actively involved in the nearby Cheriton
Baptist Church, particularly with the Youth Fellowship, some of whom may be
present today! After the War Geoff took up
a permanent post as science master at Dover Road.School in Folkestone,
teaching science and mathematics there from 1946 until 1952. He then moved,
with Ruth and their two children Elizabeth and Tony, to a post as Senior
Master at Arthur Mellows Village College in Glinton near Peterborough. Three
years later he moved once more to take up the headship of the Secondary
Modern School at Thame (known locally as the "bottom school" to
distinguish it from John Hampden School, the "top school"). Some
readers who knew Geoff at this time will recall what occupied most of his
summer school holiday: the timetable. Armed with a mass of coloured drawing
pins, each colour representing a different member of staff, he would stand
for hours in front of a large chart, rearranging the pins until satisfied
that everyone was teaching who, where and when they should. In 1960 he
presided over the transfer of activity to the new Wenman School, later to
become Lord Williams's Lower School, where he remained until his retirement
in 1977. An article in the Daily Mirror in 1965 by no less than John Pilger
described Geoff as "genial and fairly bursting with ideas", whilst
a Ministry of Education HMI Report said that he "gives serious thought
to every aspect of (school) life and spares no pains to solve problems which
may arise". From their earliest days in
Thame, Geoff and Ruth were deeply involved in the life and work of the local
Baptist Church, Geoff being a member, deacon and organist for much of this
time. As organist he displayed a great ability for improvisation, together
with a remarkable gift for selecting a final voluntary to match a key theme
from the preceding sermon. Many recall very happy memories of choir practices
in the Park Street vestry. His musical talents were
not restricted to the Church, and he was variously involved over the years as
accompanist, conductor, choir member, and bass-baritone soloist in a wide
range of choirs and musical events. When the school put on a production of
Britten's Noyes Fludde, in which he sang the eponymous title role, he
actually grew a rather splendid beard. The nation was even once treated to a
fleeting glimpse of his hands at the piano, filmed in the course of a BBC
documentary about a local District Nurse. He loved the piano, and as time
permitted, would sit at home and play and sing his favourite pieces,
sometimes to practice, sometimes purely for pleasure. There used to be a plate on
the wall of his old 'den' at Croft Close that read: "When all else
fails, ask Grampa". An admirable sentiment for sure, humanly speaking,
but with Geoff there was often no need even to ask. He firmly believed that
practical concern and care for others was the real expression of his
Christian faith, with the teaching of Matthew 25 vv 31- 46 his pattern, and
he was always ready to help family, friend, colleague or stranger alike. This attitude and approach
to life was evident from his youth and continued into his senior years. In
his late teens he was one of the principal organisers of a series of summer
camps held for deprived boys from the East. End of London. Once described as
"fund-raiser extraordinaire", he was for many years one of the main
leaders of the local Christian Aid activities in Thame. After his retirement
he played a leading role in establishing and developing Thame's Citizen's
Advice Bureau, later meeting the Princess Royal at the opening ceremony of
new premises. When eventually he withdrew from public activity, he continued
to be a tremendous support to family and friends. Nothing was too much trouble,
nowhere too far to go. He remained proud of his
roots, and until the last few years enjoyed regular visits to his home
county. He was a keen follower of Kent cricket and relished particularly
several trips to Lords in the 'early seventies to witness Kent's triumphs in
one-day competition finals. Other interests and pleasures, as time permitted,
included crossword puzzles and stamp collecting, the Goon Show, and Friday
night fish and chips, a regular ritual for many years. With hindsight, the first
signs of Geoff’s Alzheimer's Disease became evident some eleven or twelve
years ago, but with loving support from Ruth he managed at home for quite a
while. Until he was unable to venture out alone, he continued to make a
regular Saturday trek to the butchers to purchase a weekly supply of his
beloved sausages. However, as the disease took its toll, it became necessary
for him to move to the Ker Maria Nursing Home at Princes Risborough where he
lived and was tenderly nursed for nearly four years before his peaceful death
early on the morning of 10th December 2002. There were occasions when
he was not at all helpful. Invariably, if asked what he would like for
Christmas or a birthday he would reply without hesitation: "A sausage
roll"! Nonetheless he will be long remembered with great love and
affection by family, friends, colleagues and, 1 hope at least most pupils,
for his remarkable kindness, good humour and ready wit. John Nelson a former headmaster has recently
died. Jon Nelson became Headmaster of Lord William’s Grammar School in 1957.
He was a Cambridge Graduate in History and the Housemaster of the boarding
house at Exeter School (where his successor at Thame Geoff Goodall later
became Headmaster!) Jon Nelson arrived at Thame at a significant time in the
schools development. The Quarter centenary was two years off and a general
inspection was impending. He brought the “Wind of Change” from the North - he
was a Cumbrian! He will be remembered most for his administrative flair and
ability, for his powers of organisation, and for carefully weighed thought
and meticulous attention to detail. He had a logical and analytical mind and
was only happy when everything was “teed-up” - a favourite term he frequently
used. He was a great believer in work. This he stressed at every opportunity.
He was responsible for countless changes and innovations, which he introduced
subtly and gradually. Form orders were replaced by grades and setting was
done by ability. The Fifth Form was divided into “Arts and Science”, “General
Studies” and “Use of English” were new subjects for the sixth form. Anomalies were tackled, the first
year at school being called the Second Form, the Remove Form was removed and
period times were standardised at forty minutes. Records were kept, sifted,
sorted and consigned to the archives. I personally benefitted from his
support of my subject, Geography, with a positive response to my request to
take groups on field trips in this country and abroad. He did not, however,
confine his attention solely to the academic side of the school. If the
facilities had existed he would have developed the practical subjects. No mean carpenter and mechanic
himself, he left a permanent memorial in the robust arches he constructed for
the stage scenery and in the concrete paths leading to the upper field. Two
characteristic images of him were in his shirt-sleeves coaxing some ancient
domestic appliance into action and him striding round the buildings with his
long measuring stick. He introduced regular half-term holidays. To keep pace with the growth in
numbers, an extra House-New was added and the House competition was greatly
broadened in scope and systematised. The cane and caps for sixth formers were
abolished! Having served as a major in the Royal Armoured Corps in World War
2, he gave the CCF his blessing. The “Tamensian was given a new look.
It was his suggestion that the hard tennis courts should be built to
commemorate the Quatercentenary. He campaigned for an OT life membership
subscription. The culmination of six years of
effort was the opening of the new buildings – the Gym, Library and Assembly
Hall. Previously Speech day was held variously at the Thame Cinema (now the
Pied Pedaller), on the Headmaster’s lawn, if fine, and once at the Wenman
School (now the Lower School). As a man, Jon Nelson was shy and may have
given the impression of aloofness; his North Country manner sometimes
misunderstood by us rural Oxonians. He had a dry wit and was convivial on
social occasions. He was fair, just and widely respected for his integrity.
He worked for the community, was a member of the Parochial Church Council and
a Churchwarden. He began parents meetings and liaised with the staff of the
Primary Schools. He became a Town Councillor and was judged an excellent
committee man. In fact he laid the foundations of the modern school, with the
welding of parents, pupils and former members into a team. After the bachelor establishment of the
previous nine years the Boarding House echoed to the sound of what the then
Chairman of Governors called “the boisterous Nelson Children”. Family
solidarity was a key feature of the Nelsons. The Boarding House regime became
less spartan with bedside lockers and colourful décor in the dormitories. Breakfast was made a quarter of an hour
later and compulsory seven o’clock swims were discontinued! Phyl Nelson, his
Wife, was a great support and ran the domestic side with equal efficiency and
care. In 1964 Jon Nelson was appointed to
Headship of Hutton Grammer School near Preston where he remained until his retirement
when he returned to his native Lake District and then, in order to be nearer
his family, he and Phyl moved South, first to Brockenhurst, then Ringwood and
finally to Bristol where I had the pleasure of staying with them some three
years ago. R.F.M (with assistance from G.G. N.S.G and N.S.L). B H J Bevan was educated at Monmouth School and
took his B.A. in Classics at the University of Wales. He began his quarter of
a century at LWS in May 1935 from All Hallows School. The Forces claimed him
between 1941 and 1946, when he served initially with the Royal Signals in the
North African campaign and then with the RAEC in Germany. He was Senior
Classics Master but was not merely a teacher; Mr. Bevan had all the
attributes of a scholar and a passionate belief in the value of his subject.
Everybody realised the work he did for the dayboy Houses, first Harris and
then Hampden. Succeeding Mr. Guest as Housemaster in 1957. He worked quietly
and energetically in this role and brought his House within an ace of winning
the House Shield one year. As business manager of the play, he lightened the
load of the producer. As a member of tile Committee he played a vital part in
the Quatercentenary celebrations, taking on the onerous burden of Fete
organiser with outstanding success in two consecutive years. Through his
efforts, a very comprehensive exhibition of the history of the School was
staged, adding dignity and interest to the proceedings. In the special
production for 1959, "The Lion and the Unicorn," he took the part
of Lord Burleigh, the Queen's faithful counsellor. As editor of the
"Tamensian" Mr. Bevan performed a great service to the School in
bringing out year after year a magazine, which upheld the standards of the
School. Mr. Bevan came into constant contact with the Old Boys. He was the
School’s liaison officer with them. The O.T.A. gave him the signal but well -
deserved privilege of honorary membership of the Association. Hugh Mullens was the fourth child of William Mullens,
a banker of the City of London, and his wife Florence; he was educated at
Dean Close School, Cheltenham and Keble College, Oxford, where he was a
scholar and took a First Class Honours Degree in Classics. Like most of his
family, he was devoted to the teaching profession and began his career at
Scarborough College before moving to King Williarn's College, Isle of Man as
Classical Master and Housemaster. During the war, he was commissioned in the
Hampshire Regiment and spent his time in chemical warfare, stationed on
Salisbury Plain, returning to King William's when hostilities ended. Mr.
Mullens came to Thame with clear ideas of what he wanted to achieve in a
small country Grammar School. The 1944 Butler Act had changed the status of
the School giving more authority to the Local Education Committee with whom
the Headmaster had frequent and often frustrating battles to engage. His own
views were expressed in his annual Speech Day reports. The building of a
strong Sixth Form was the first objective and continued the appeal of his
predecessor in several Speech Day reports for more boys to stay for those
vital Sixth Form years. Science was not forgotten and Mr. Mullens pressed
hard for new laboratories, which were eventually built and opened in 1956 by
Colonel Boyle, Chairman of the Governors, and named the “Boyle". Professor Peter Parish British
historian whose authoritative work on the American Civil War won the respect
of his peers in the US
Peter J. Parish was the most authoritative British historian of 19th-century
America. For almost 30 years he dominated the crowded field of Civil War
history, becoming probably the best-known and most respected British
historian of the subject in the United States itself. Peter Joseph Parish was
born in Barking, Essex. He showed early promise as a scholar, and was
educated at Lord Williams's School at Thame, Oxfordshire, and St
Bonaventure's School, Forest Gate. His early education included a substantial
amount of Latin, and his grasp of this language was the source of his
remarkable understanding of syntax and sense of written style, not only in
his own work but also in that of others. In 1947 he entered University
College London. He was the first member of his family to enjoy the advantages
of a university education. He felt that he was a mediocre undergraduate, so
he was very surprised when the Astor Professor, Sir John Neale, predicted
that he would get a first, as, indeed, he did when he graduated in 1950. Herbert L Nicolle (1929 - 36). Herbert died suddenly on 2
June 2001 aged 82 years. After wartime service in the Royal Signals, he
trained as an electrical engineer and specialised in flight simulators and
radio aerial design. A dedicated OT, he served on the Committee and was
President in 1973/74 and 1999/00. A keen sailor and steam train enthusiast,
he also took up bookbinding and recently collated the Reminiscences of Lord
Williams's School. Herbert was a deeply religious and kind person whose
generosity was shown by his two substantial bequests to the new Cricket
Pavilion and the John Hampton Memorial Fund. We all will miss his genial
personality and dry humour, and our condolences go to his wife - Olive - and
the family. (Derrick Hester). Walter Lawrence “Laurie” Dodd. He passed away at 60 years of age on
November 6th 2000. He had a heart attack. He had retired early due to ill
health, but managed to enjoy his retirement. Our daughter Teresa was also a
pupil at Lord Williams’s and has two daughters of her own, Zoë and Rachel. We
spent 42 happy years together. (Margaret A Dodd. March 2002). Clifford Mines (1942-1946) who used to live at Chilton,
died at his home in Amersham in January. He was 72 years old. He worked in
the traffic department for Bucks County Council in Walton Street until it was
transferred to Swansea. (Robert Cadle of Chilton) Richard Albury Bennett, was a boarder at Lord Bill's from 1933
to 1942. He died on 3 July at Balgowan in Kwa Zulu Natal where he had been
living since 1989. After leaving school, he served briefly in the Irish
Guards then transferred to No 1 Commando and finished the war with a
commission in the Oxford and Bucks. He was a student at the Royal Agricultural
College, Cirencester, from 1947 until 1952 when he became a member of staff
there until he retired in 1989. In 1948, he contracted polio and was
virtually paraplegic for the rest of his life. This did not inhibit his
activities however and he drove a modified Volvo everywhere. He leaves a
flourishing estate agency in Gloucestershire. He was a staunch supporter of
the Conservative Party until he emigrated. He leaves a widow, Nora, and a son
Charles and daughter Charlotte and six grandchildren. Rowland W. Hill (at the school 1924-1930). Rowland died
at the age of 89 on 6th March 2002, in the John Radcliffe Hospital, after a
short illness. Born and bred in Chinnor where his mother was the Postmistress
for many years, Rowland attended Lord Williams’s as a dayboy for two years
before becoming a boarder in 1926. Rowland always had very fond memories of
his schooldays – as he said in a short autobiography which he compiled in
later years:“At Grammar School.... my thirst for knowledge covering a very
wide field was encouraged, and for this I have been grateful all through my
life.” On leaving school, Rowland went into teaching training at the College
of St. Mark and St. John in Chelsea and in 1933 took up his first teaching
post at the C. of E. Boys’ School in Faringdon, where he was to spend the
rest of his long life. Rowland’s teaching career was soon to be interrupted
by war service, which took him to India as an RAF photographer, to return to
England with his coveted “Burma Star” in 1945. Promotion to Deputy Head at
the newly-designated Faringdon Secondary Modern School soon followed, a role
which Rowland was due to fulfil for the remainder of his 40-year long
teaching career. Throughout this time, Rowland kept a very active interest in
the Old Tamensians’ Association and was for many years a committee member and
secretary of the John Hampden War Memorial Scholarship Fund. In recognition
of these services, Rowland was appointed first Life Vice-President of the
Association, an honour of which he was always extremely proud. A man of
great energy and courage – (Rowland spent the last 10 years of his life
confined to a wheel-chair after a double amputation) – he will be greatly
missed by all who knew him. John Elton (Jack) Died on July 27th 2002 in St Giles’
Hospice, Lichfield aged 80. The funeral was held on August 5th at Tamworth
Baptist chapel. He was interred at Kings Bromley. Geoffrey Wild (1934-39). Lived in Watlington, and
died in August 2002, in his 81st year. He played in the First XV in 1938
& 39. Daniel Good - The family of 24-year-old Daniel
Good who was killed in a road crash have spoken of their loss. Daniel, of
Stokes End, Haddenham, was returning from his weekly football match with
friends when the Volkswagen Golf in which he was a passenger was involved in
a collision on the Portway, Dinton, near Aylesbury, on Monday, June 11. No
other car was involved in the accident. A family statement said: "We're
totally bereft by our loss. "Daniel came from an extremely close family
and was much-loved by his mother, brother, sister and girlfriend.
"Daniel was constantly enriched taking up new interests. He took up
playing football at university and recently started playing again locally.
"When the accident happened, Daniel had been returning with friends from
his weekly game of football." Daniel was born in Aylesbury and grew up
in Haddenham. He attended Lord Williams School, in Thame, and then studied
for a BTEC in Software Engineering at Aylesbury College. He graduated from
Hertfordshire University in June 2000 with a BSc in Computing. Daniel had
recently started working for construction company Scanska. Eric Syson died in 1988. He wasChairman of the
OTA, a former pupil and a Governor of the School. He generosity, humour and
sympathy for others made him a great credit to the School and truely a
gentleman. Eric attended the School from 1919 to 1923 and before he died had
become the longest serving Old Boy. He had a successful school career both in
sport and academically, leading on to Law and his position as a senior partner
in the well-known London firm of solicitors, Kennedys. His last visit to the
School was to an OTA Committee Meeting which he chaired. He was a certain
attender at Founder's Day and a keen supporter of the OTs RFC, who always
kept a No 16 shirt ready for his use. At School he is already commemorated in
the Speaking Competition that bears his name, and in the Syson Block, which
was named after him for his great contribution to the School. William Guest (1892-1975) Died in Oxford at the
age of 85 having been history master at LWGS for over 30 years until his
retirement in 1957. A Yorkshireman by birth, he was educated at Normanton
Grammar School in the West Riding and then trained as a teacher. His career
was interrupted by the 1st World War, during which he served as a Captain in
the K.R.R.C., and was badly wounded. After the War, he read Modern History at
Oxford. In 1925 he started at the School, teaching History and English. As a
teacher he was most conscientiuos and entirely devoted to the interests of
his pupils. In scholarship, he was conservative and critical of popular and
superficial opinion. He immersed himself in pastoral activities and he played
a full-part in activities otside the classroom, including PT and athlectics.
He was a scholar of local history and helped J.Howard Brown with his writing
and made an authoritative contribution to the Victoria County History of
Oxfordshire. He became the Senior Master in the School and was Housemaster of
Hampden for many years. |
