Remembering Roger David Prout

Roger David Prout

7/7/1960 – 13/8/2022 Eulogy byPete Evans

Roger’s downfall as a non-academic proved to be the starting point at school. Roger was often found either outside a classroom or outside the headmaster`s office door, awaiting six of the best! However, he soon wised up to the fact that if you put an exercise book down the back of your trousers it wasn`t so painful!

Parents evenings were not a source of great joy for his mother, Dorothy, who had to sit through teachers’ appraisals of Rogers’ academic term. Sadly for his mother, Roger did not fare any better in the PE department with comments including “poor all round attitude” …. “He has made the bare minimum effort” and even “no effort at all”. He did however achieve a level of consistency! His final report from the Head of House, summing the job up, and written in red stated… “Roger has gone from bad to worse, and is now impossible. What he hopes to achieve by this, I cannot imagine. I am sick of the sound of his name”. He proved them all wrong.

Roger’s father ‘DA’ did not make many appearances at school, preferring to allow Dorothy to deal with it. However, one morning he found Roger hiding behind the hedge, and avoiding the school bus. DA saw red and he made Roger get into his van. On arriving at school, he drove round and round the island in front of the main block with his hand firmly on the horn until there were pupils and teachers at many of the windows. He then dragged Roger out of the van and handed him in to the Headmaster. Suffice to say he didn`t hide from the school bus again.

During his younger years DA bought Roger and his brother Allen a fishing rod each, and they proceeded to the river near the garage to try their hand at this newly discovered past-time. Surprisingly, both caught an eel. They did not know what to do, so dragged these eels across the field, still attached to the new fishing rods their father had bought for them; arriving at Shavers farm, where their mother, Mrs Davies, gladly took the eels from the boys and enjoyed them for supper! On returning to the river, Roger decided fishing was not for them and threw both his and Allen’s’ new fishing rods into the river where they probably remain today!

Roger’s teenage years were spent discovering how to fix and repair mechanical things. One afternoon he managed to get an old Datsun pick-up that was lying around at his father’s garage started, and with his brothers on board proceeded to take it for a test drive through the village. On reaching the outskirts of Dymock, they turned the old Datsun around and hooked on to ‘Bill the Books’ Fruit & Veg trailer and started the return journey scattering Fruit & Veg as they went! Once again DA was informed and yet another bollocking was issued.

Roger’s talent for fixing and repairing mechanical things continued to go from strength to strength, as did his sense of mischief and fun! One day he loaded a couple of friends, his two brothers and even his sister Sally (who was determined not to miss out) into an old Ford Anglia which he had managed to get going. He proceeded to take them on an “off road experience” around the field opposite his father’s garage. Pretty soon, it became apparent the field was not big enough to allow them to continue. Not wishing to be beaten, he carried on to the next field that belonged the Old Village Colonel who was jumping up and down in anger. Roger proceeded to demonstrate a ‘hand brake turn’, covering the poor old Colonel in mud! Needless to say, DA was once again informed and Roger, along with all his associates, took refuge in the vaults underneath this very church. DA knew where they would be hiding and as one by one, they emerged, each received several lashes of an old fan belt DA had taken from his collection. There were a couple of exceptions, Sally was first out and was spared the fan belt because DA had a soft spot for his only daughter, and she pretended to cry as her father had instructed her! Tom was next out, and as usual was left unscathed, and also spared the fan belt as he insisted “Roger had made him get in the car”. Roger, as usual, was firmly in the frame; took all the blame and was treated to the fan belt, and yet another bollocking.

Eventually, Roger met the love of his life, Shirley, and after getting married they had 3 lovely children, all of whom I know have inherited his sense of fun and mischief.

You would think this may have quietened him down a little, but “oh no not Roger”, he was going to carry on enjoying life to the full. Once whilst away on one of the National Tractor Road Runs, we were all enjoying a meal in one of the local pubs when Roger appeared at an open window, late as usual. I remember Richard Vincent “Turbo” lifting his legs and pushing him through said window, and onto the dinner table; Roger had arrived!!!

Yet again, whilst away on a National Tractor Road Run his great friend Jimmy Barret, who knew Roger very well and who was fully aware of his fear of goats, caught one in the field next to the pub and popped it into Rogers’ bedroom. All was well, until Roger decided it was bedtime. On arriving at his room for the night, all hell broke loose. Roger always maintained he was not afraid, but insisted the goat was “spitting and snapping in a most unfriendly manner” at him. This did nothing to overcome his fear of goats, but being the gentleman, he was he never held a grudge against his old and dear friend Jimmy Barrett.

From a very early age Roger had a love of everything steam. For many years was the Section Leader of the Wood Sawing and Working Area at his father’s Steam Rally, or rather the “Non-Working Area” as it became known by the lads, namely Campbell Parry, Richard and Gordon Luther, James Eckley and Dean Acton; all who spent many happy steam rallies with their great friend and leader “Lank” (as they knew him) in the proverbial “Non-Working Area”

Roger had his own steam engine, rack saw bench and many more assorted tractors etc., all awaiting restoration.

He never finished his own stuff because he was always “too busy” helping other people with their projects, running his own business, being a brother, father, husband and a true great friend to many.

R.I.P. Roger (Lank).