Obituaries

Dr Winston Backus KS 1931-40

Dr. Winston Osler Backus passed away June 15, 2020 at the age of 99. He was born in Eckville, Alberta to Dr. Percy and Verna Backus on October 12, 1920. He received his medical degree from the London Hospital in London, England in 1946.

After 5 years in the British army he and his wife, Valmai and 2 sons returned to Ponoka, Alberta where he joined his brother in medical practice. He moved with his family to Grande Prairie, Alberta in 1956 and served the community in many ways, as a doctor and an MLA. In 2016 he and his wife Myrtle moved to Spruce Grove, Alberta and he subsequently to Copper Sky.

He was predeceased by his parents, his brother and his wife, Valmai. He leaves to mourn his passing his wife Myrtle, sons David, Richard and Robert; daughter Elizabeth; stepchildren Ried, Wayne, Don and Myrna plus 20 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren. • thoroughly enjoyed their time there. In the second year John was sole doctor in charge of a 60-bedded hospital, carrying out complex surgical operations every day. For the rest it was "nineteenth century medicine with twentieth century drugs," as John described his work in Uganda. It was good that John Wood, his tutorial partner at BNC, was in Uganda at the same time.

Returning to England, he went into General Practice in Kent, where he and a colleague set up the GP Training Scheme in Tunbridge Wells. It was inevitable that John would choose Family Medicine as his speciality. He had two generations of GPs behind him in his family, he loved people and believed passionately in continuity of care for them. He saw his role as an enabler helping his patients to understand their illness and cope with it. If he could build a special relationship with them he could give them the best possible care. John was also passionate about keeping sick people at home if possible and, with support from patients, set up an organisation called 'Care Unlimited' in Paddock Wood, which made the national press under the title 'The Village that Cares'. 'Caring Unlimited' was later superseded by the Hospice movement.

Close to the 'village that cares', actually in Matfield, John and Ruth created a wonderful home. Their two adopted sons, Dominick and Christopher, were brought up here. "Dad," says Dominick, "was a busy man but was always there for you, ready to listen. Even when he was continually in pain, he retained his love of life, his sense of humour, his inquisitive

John Winskill Baker (FRCGP) KS 1945-1954

John was born in Winterton, North Lincolnshire in 1935 and remained throughout his life a 'Lincolnshire lad.'

His life and mine coincided to a remarkable degree, at school, at Oxford and in later life when we both settled in Kent. He was sent as a boarder to Prior's Court Prep school and had the luck to witness the VE Day celebrations in Trafalgar Square on his journey to school in 1945. At Kingswood School we were both members of the same House, School House, and played in the same Rugby teams. Curiously, we then became in successive years, 1953 and 1954, the first two Stallybrass Exhibitioners at Brasenose College, Oxford. John studied medicine at Oxford but for a short time we shared two things, a girlfriend (later to become my wife) and a car (a wonderful old Alvis). We also played for the BNC Rugby team, which John captained in 1956-7. As a Rugby player John made up for his relative slightness of build by his ferocious determination and a fearlessness that must have played some part in causing the acute back-pain that plagued the last 20 years of his life.

After Oxford John trained at the London, now Royal London, Hospital. In 1961, while he was working as a junior Houseman at the London, John took time off to marry Ruth Gibbon, a fellow Oxford graduate. Early in their married life, John and Ruth went off for two years in Uganda, under the auspices of the Ministry of Overseas Development. They

mind and his power to generate happiness."

In the 1980s John and Ruth became involved in local politics: John served for 12 years as a Parish Councillor and later, after he retired from General Practice, he joined Ruth as a Borough Councillor for Paddock Wood. In 1996 Ruth was elected Mayor of Tunbridge Wells. At this stage I saw more of John in his role as a very supportive Mayor's Consort, at a splendid series of events, the most notable for me being lunch in the Mayor's tent at the Kent v. Sussex cricket match.

Increasingly disabled by osteoarthritis, John died following a tragic accident when on holiday on the Scilly Isles. He had been a wonderfully committed, caring and thoughtful General Practitioner for 30 years. Ruth says his distinguishing feature was "an imperishable optimism which made him a well-loved doctor and a generous friend."

John was a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners (FRCGP).

Written by Hubert Moore (left Kingswood 1953). •

Trevor John Bell KS 1950-57 31 Mar 1939 – 15 Nov 2020

Arriving in Midsomer Norton in October 1988, we had moved to a totally new town knowing no one. However, it was not long before I met Trevor at the Methodist Church and discovered our shared education at Kingswood. Although he had left Kingswood a year before I had started that did not diminish the immediate bond, we both shared, the Kingswood “Family” spirit.

Trevor was born in Midsomer Norton. Whilst he was boarding at Kingswood, during holidays and other days he retained his connections with his contemporaries in the “Paulton Road Gang” indeed instigating many of their “adventures”.

Whilst at Kingswood, Trevor became very friendly with Alan Tongue, whose father was his mathematics teacher and also Housemaster at Hall house. Alan introduced Trevor to puppetry and, together with Mary Davies (daughter of Rupert) and Peter Gornall (who later became a surgeon) they gave performances around the Bath area.

Trevor was also an enthusiastic participant in the many sporting activities offered by Kingswood, and, spotting a gap, was allowed to form a soccer team

Following Kingswood, Trevor trained at Culham College as a Teacher with a further year at St Luke’s Exeter for a diploma in Maths. By fortune of timing a post for a Science and Maths Teacher at one of our local Somervale School was vacant and thus Trevor commenced his teaching career in his home town no doubt to the benefit of a new generation. Later he taught at Chandag School, Keynsham.

However, it was as a Local Preacher that I got best to know Trevor and share our faith. For both of us a faith founded on the teaching and life we had lived at Kingswood. Trevor followed the call to preach and was accredited in 1963. He preached throughout the then Midsomer Norton Circuit (Now NE Somerset & Bath), welcomed in all the Churches for his message. As a fellow Preacher it was also a pleasure to have Trevor in the congregation but, you needed to be prepared for the incisive questions he would challenge you with afterwards!

Trevor served the Church in many other ways e.g. as Circuit Steward. Also, for many years a prime organiser for Christian Aid throughout the Town.

Trevor had a lifelong interest in sport, both as a player cricket, tennis and soccer and supporter. I believe he was responsible for the “round balls’” first appearance at Kingswood! Whilst teaching he ran the School Football Team and organised the Bath Junior League. He played for our Methodist Cricket Club for many years. He was a member or Somerset Cricket Club and lifelong supporter of Bristol City.

He married Elizabeth Dobson, in 1966, one of the “Paulton Road Gang.” They adopted Sarah in 1974 and now have three grandchildren.

Trevor continued to develop his beliefs attending many Lectures, Conferences etc. Always with his scientific analysis prepared to challenge but support his faith.

In his own words:

“On a Journey of Faith we make mistakes, we can all misunderstand God’s guidance. However, we have to take a risk and trust God is guiding us and we have the Holy spirit with us. I hope in a small way I may have helped to build up the Kingdom of God.”

Final words from “A personal Glimpse” published in our Church Magazine March 2016.

Kingswood may be proud that it inculcated such a faith and that Trevor expounded it over the years to many congregations and his friends of which I have been privileged to be one.

Written by Michael Jakins (KS 1958-64) •

John Byrt came to Kingswood in 1967, as the successor to Roger Pope, having been the organ scholar at St John’s College, Oxford, where he had graduated with first class honours and then worked on his doctorate. He arrived at the school as ‘Mr’ Byrt, but became ‘Dr’ Byrt before the end of his first term, and an apocryphal story went around that of one of the younger boys, on learning of John’s change of status, asked him if he could provide him with an aspirin for his headache!

From the outset it was evident that John was an exceptional musician, especially as an organist. At the end of the first chapel service for which he played, his exit voluntary was the fiendishly challenging Toccata in B flat minor by Louis Vierne, and such was his rendering thereof that all the boys (and members of staff who were there), instead of making for the Ferens Block for first lesson, remained in their pews throughout the performance, open-mouthed that anyone could coax such remarkable sounds from the rather tired chapel organ! (A quick YouTube search of the piece will soon put this anecdote into context.)

John was a superbly gifted teacher and although class music lessons had always been enjoyable, they became appropriately challenging under his direction, with no room for tomfoolery. He expected high standards from his students and was not afraid to speak his mind forthrightly when they were not. Woe betide the music A Level student who was prone to procrastination!

On one celebrated Saturday evening the school was to be entertained by a group of professional musicians who had featured regularly on the radio and given concerts around the world. At the last minute, their pianist rang to say that he was unable to get to the school in time, at which news John simply stepped in and played all the pieces at sight, perfectly. It was therefore not surprising to learn that when he took his fellowship exam for the Royal College of Organists he discovered that he had been told to learn the wrong movement. After discussion with the examiners, they said he would have to play the set movement to qualify, so he did – sight-reading it as he went – and still passed.

His time at Kingswood was brief and there is much more to his story, but I am sure I am not alone in knowing that I owe John a huge debt of gratitude for introducing me to a world about which I knew little, but in which I have achieved more than I ever thought possible.

Written by Paul Cheater (KS 1962-70) •

Peter Jackson Clulow KS 1947-56

Peter's friend and colleague Alan Tongue writes: I first came across Peter's musical talents at Kingswood, where we both were heavily involved in musical activities. He also took part in plays, was often a member of the stage crew and

a projectionist, and was in the ATC. He was previously at Priors' Court, 1947-50.

Peter was born in February 1937 in Hull to a third generation Methodist minister Arnold Harrison Clulow and his wife Dorothy. He was brought up in a house graced with a baby grand piano and started learning from an early age. At Kingswood the music teacher John Sykes was a profound influence and Peter was always proud of the poem that Sykes wrote for him at his request. I think Peter would approve of its being printed here in part:

I am - what? I am wonderful - beautiful as the lily of the valley. I am - a sot: A thing picked up, bedraggled, in Dead Man's Alley. I am - a Christian martyr, gored by circus lions. I am - just absurdly quaint: A thing too comical to merit damnation. Don't ask me who I am, Clulow, - I know not, And to you I dedicate this - do'nut.

In his final year Clulow conducted a fully staged production of the Mozart opera Bastien and Bastienne. I sang in the chorus and recall Peter being totally in his element.

For his National Service he joined the RAF 1955-7 as Pilot Officer, stationed in Germany. One story he often told was missing a church steeple by yards while learning to fly. He went up to Keble College in 1958 and obtained an MA in Music in 1961. Most importantly, researching for his Professor, Jack Westrup, he calculated the publication dates of the Byrd masses through the wear on the woodblock initials at the head of each movement: he credited his short spell in the KS Press for leading him on the right track. At Oxford he worked backstage with the Chancel Theatre Company and over many Easter vacations he assisted with the Bath Opera Group in building scenery, erecting their portable stage and stage managing productions of Mozart, and he sang in their production of Vaughan Williams' Sir John in Love.

In 1962 he joined the music staff of the Haberdashers' Aske's School at Elstree where he stayed for 23 years, teaching right up to Oxbridge exam level, something at which he apparently particularly excelled. English music and early music were his great interests. As well as orchestras and choirs outside the academic timetable he was himself a composer and had a carol There is no rose of such virtue published by the Royal Society of Church Music. Extramural activities included teaching the boys sailing on the local reservoir one afternoon a week. He conducted the St. Albans Choral Society for 20 years until the mid 90s, inviting prominent BBC newscasters to read at the annual carol service. After leaving Haberdashers' in 1985 he taught privately Latin, Physics, Maths and English, followed by Humanities for the Open University. He was an early convert to computers and often made his own. Peter was a keen sailor with his own Westerly Pageant Saraband, berthed in Gosport, and he always dipped his flag if a Royal Navy ship passed by.

In March 1997 he gave an illustrated talk on John Sykes at Kingswood School with musical illustrations, which impressed me. This followed on from his helping to catalogue the large collection of Sykes manuscripts at the school. He had started transcribing the music with the help of a few interested Old Boys, and he compiled a website, now managed by KS (www.jasykes.online). He was able to negotiate that any royalties from the music would come to the school. His editions of the works of John Sykes are exemplary.

One project we devised together was adding a soundtrack to the Uppingham silent film (1946) by adding a commentary and some of Sykes' music, Peter doing all the technical work brilliantly, though sound recording was new to him. He was also of great assistance to me when I started transcribing works by Vaughan

Williams, and I brought him along to concerts and recording sessions. The corollary of this is that we finally persuaded Albion Records to make a CD of music by John Sykes, on the grounds that he had been a pupil of Vaughan Williams at the Royal College of Music. I am thankful that this was all completed, including brilliant sleeve notes by Peter, before his tragic death from Covid-19 on 30 January 2021. In the final months before his death Peter was helping Albion Records with completing some early Vaughan Williams works and tidying scores up for recording, and doing similar work for the Holst Society. Thanks to him a former pupil of his, Paul Harris, has started publishing some of Sykes's music.

Peter was the all rounder, a winning combination of the academic and the practical musician. One would never know what one might be doing in his company - driving to Essex to search for the house of Randall Swingler (Sykes' great friend), playing word games in Latin, or hearing a topical aspect of Xeno's Paradox. He leaves a sister Jenny, actress, and brother Chris, psychotherapist. •

Anthony Collier KS 1947-54

Tony was the son of a Methodist minister and a mother who was also much involved with social work. He grew up in a manse and spent most of his holidays on his uncle’s farm, where from came his love of animals. Few Kingswood boys read agricultural newspapers but Tony was an avid reader of “The Farmer’s Weekly” and before leaving the sixth form to join an Agricultural College he already knew a lot about crops, flocks, herds and machinery.

His lifetime ambition was to have his own farm, to work his own farm. But first he’d have to shepherd someone else’s sheep in the Black mountains of Wales, alone with his two dogs for company and warmth. He made his way as a reporter covering the fairs over Europe freelance. Soon his knowledge of technical advances gave him the idea to advertise, recommend and sell laboursaving farm equipment. As an editor and publisher of three agricultural magazines with a national coverage he was eventually able to buy his own farm and achieve his goal. His two children, Sally and Nigel, were just adult when he met Stephanie, a farmer’s daughter, and soon Frances was born. The pair of them worked together endlessly and joyfully through all seasons, meeting difficulties with confidence, little time for holidays. Tony’s mother came to live on the farm and for years he took care of her as age caused sickness.

Tony participated in the life and activities of his village. He loved popular music and especially jazz and would himself pick up a tune on his piano. With his wife they attended music festivals.

In club cricket he was fast bowler and a useful bat. In a game of rugby on the Upper he scored a try but opened his scull on the stone wall and was carried off to hospital.

He could nail up fencing for sheep, using skilfully hammer in either right or left hand. His dogs, border collies, were trained to work his sheep and obeyed his whistle immediately. When horses pulled ploughs, he was sometimes a judge of the straightest furrow and later with his tractor he turned the soil in patterns on his hill. He was an honest gentleman, good in business, fair in dealings with both client and supplier. He was also a fine friend.

Still working the farm at 80 years when cancer set in, but it was in his 82nd year that he died from a coronary attack on 25th November 2020, just five weeks after the birth of his first grandchild, a girl, Elsie.

Written by his good friend Tony Hooper (KS 1947-56, Lower), who has known him since their days at Priors Court in 1947. •

Charles Leslie Cram KS 1954-61

I am writing with the sad news that my brother Leslie Cram (Full name Charles Leslie Cram) passed away on 7 February 2021, aged 78. He was born on 18 May 1942. Leslie was one of three brothers who all attended Kingswood in the 1950s-1960s, an older one being John (who sadly died on 20 December 2008) and a younger one being myself, David.

Leslie went on to study archaeology and anthropology at Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he specialised in the Old Stone Age with a particular interest in the analysis of animal bones, stone tools and footprints. After a period on employment at the British Museum, Leslie was appointed Principal Curator for the museum service of Reading Borough Council, where he had care of the special collections of Thames Valley hand axes, Mesolithic Thatcham, Roman Silchester and the ruined remains of Reading abbey. While in this post he was involved in archaeology and planning, sites and monuments records, rescue archaeology and excavation units. He also arranged lectures and excursions, working with the Berkshire Archaeological Society, and Reading University Continuing Education Department. Consistently with this heritage, David was sent at the age of ten to be educated at John Wesley’s School, Kingswood School in Bath. Soon after leaving Kingswood he was called up for military service in the Second World War. He served in the Royal Signals and spent most of the war in India, where he attained the rank of Captain and became the ADC of the General Offi cer Commanding the Bengal District.

On demobilisation he married Trudy, whom he had earlier met at a Christmas party held at Chichester Methodist Church, and settled in Thornton Heath in South London, where he became a local preacher in the Brixton Hill Circuit, and began a career in the printing industry. After training at the London School of Printing, he fi lled a number of managerial posts in different companies, mostly in the London area, some involved with general printing, others with local newspapers. Quite quickly his natural gifts of leadership began to show. He became the Chairman of the London Young Master Printers, later the President of the London Printing Industries Federation and Chairman of its Industrial Relations Committee at a time when industrial relations in Britain were going through a

After his retirement he moved to Harby in Leicestershire, where he helped form a local history group and edited two volumes of village history. He was also an active member of the Thoroton Society for Nottinghamshire history and archaeology, serving as its programme secretary for several years.

Written by his brother, David Cram, Emeritus Fellow, Jesus College, Oxford OX1 3DW. •

Receiving OBE at Buckingham Palace

David Ensor KS 1934-42

David Ensor, who died on 10 February at the age of 96, was one of the leading laymen of British Methodism during the last quarter of the 20th century.

He came from a strongly Methodist family which traced its roots in Methodism back to the time of John Wesley, and contained many ministers. Two of his great uncles were Presidents of the Conference (Rev. Charles Ensor Walters in 1936 and Rev. Harold Crawford Walters in 1956) and another relative, Norman Sargant, was a Bishop in the Church of South India. His own father, Rev. William Walters Ensor (1890-1967), was also a Methodist minister.

particularly turbulent period. It was for his services to the newspaper industry that he was made on OBE in the New Year’s Honours list of 1986.

All the while his involvement in the life of the Methodist Church was deepening. Having first held the office of what was then called a ‘society steward’, he served as a circuit steward in three different circuits and, at the connexional level, played a part in the process whereby ministers became owners of their own manse furniture. Later he became a member of numerous connexional committees and took on other major roles in the life of the Methodist Church: he became a Director of the Methodist Newspaper Company (publishers of the Methodist Recorder) and was its Chairman (1975-1994) during the period in which the Recorder’s premises in Fleet Street were sold and new premises bought in Golden Lane; and Chairman of the Board of the Methodist Publishing House (1981-1996) during the period in which the MPH offices were moved from Wimbledon to Peterborough and the hymn book ‘Hymns and Psalms’ was successfully published. In the light of his record of distinguished service it is not surprising that the Methodist Conference elected him as its Vice-President in 1981, and that he was called to be the Chairman of the organising committee of the 250th year Anniversary Celebrations of John Wesley’s conversion in 1988. However, it was not only within the printing industry and the Methodist Church that his exceptional leadership gifts were recognised and used. He was also a governor of Kingswood School from 1977, and later Chairman of the Governing Board (1990-5); Chairman (1975-9) and later President (1987-8) of the Kingswood Association; Vice Chairman of the Press Council under Sir Zelman Cowan, QC, and Sir Louis Blom-Cooper, QC (1987-1990), Chairman of the Kingston YMCA, at a time when it was moving to new premises in Surbiton, and then Chairman of the Metropolitan Region of the YMCA.

In retirement near Salisbury, his leadership gifts continued to shine as Chairman of Churches Together in Salisbury and Chairman of the Salisbury and District U3A. He also played a major role in the redesigning and renovation of Salisbury Methodist Church, led a house group, and continued preaching for as long as he was physically capable of doing so. Even in his 90s, at his care home in Eastbourne, he was organising services, writing articles for its magazine, and filling the role of its ‘ambassador’, charged with the task of representing the home to visitors and potential new residents.

Yet his life cannot be fully appreciated simply by listing his many gifts, roles and achievements. For all his expertise, sharpness of mind, practical wisdom, devotion to duty, and meticulous efficiency, he was essentially a quiet, humble man, with a gift for friendship, gentle humour, and generous hospitality, all the while ably supported by his wife Trudy, who predeceased him by six years. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his two sons, four grandchildren, nine greatgrandchildren, and numerous friends, and will surely deserve the words of our Lord: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master’.

Written by Rev. Dr. Peter Ensor (KS 1961-70) •

Michael (Mike) Abbott Gaunt KS 1962-67

Mike was born in Darlington in 1948. His father was a bank manager and the family were regularly on the move, living in Birmingham, Ware, Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, York and Chesterfield. Boarding at Kingswood therefore gave some continuity in education. Coming from two Methodist families rooted in Ripon, North Yorkshire, Mike’s father (Douglas), uncle (Donald), two brothers (Philip and Richard) and two cousins (Bryan and Roger) all attended KS.

Mike took advantage of all that Kingswood had to offer. On the academic side, he developed his interests in English literature and music. He was a talented singer, giving several recitals at the School. His music also gave

him a legitimate introduction to Bath High School, which was very rare in those days. However, it was on the cricket field that he excelled, being promoted from the Colts to the 1st XI and was selected, most unusually, to play for Bath Cricket Club. In his final year as captain, he scored centuries in 2 successive school matches, which was a record at the time. He was also captain of the hockey 1st XI and Head of Lower House.

Before going to Fitzwilliam College Cambridge to read Law, Mike spent some months travelling in India and developed a lifelong interest in the country and its people. He had a full Nehru outfit. At Cambridge, he played college cricket and hockey. His singing performances continued, particularly in Gilbert & Sullivan operas. Following Law College at Guildford, he was articled with a firm of solicitors in Leeds.

Being attracted to the life of a country solicitor, Mike moved to Morpeth, Northumberland and joined a local well-established practice. It was not long before he was appointed as a partner and he remained working there until his retirement a couple of years ago. He married Jean in 1975. She was a teacher from Newcastle and he had to acclimatise to different phrases and customs. In time he became an honorary Geordie. Their family quickly expanded with the arrival of three daughters, Clare, Sarah and Mary. Mike and Jean were heavily involved in their upbringing and education, with Clare following her father to Cambridge. He retained a sedentary interest in cricket, being a member of Durham County CC for a time. He only had divided loyalties when Durham played Yorkshire. Their joint interest in classical music continued, with frequent visits to the Sage in Newcastle. They were both actively involved with Morpeth Methodist Chapel, where Mike played the organ. They enjoyed exotic holidays, often travelling by train. Closer to home, they were frequent visitors to the wild Northumberland coast.

Mike was a well-known and respected solicitor in Morpeth. He was a trustee for a number of local charities, a volunteer for the Samaritans and a member of the Rotary Club. He disliked pomposity and unbridled authority and sympathised with the disadvantaged. He was scrupulously honest and like his cricket, played everything with a straight bat. He was devoted to his family and doted on their four grandchildren.

Mike died in July 2020 at the age of 71. He had been diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer only 4 months beforehand. He bore his illness with a remarkable amount of fortitude and resolution. He was seeking a specialist form of treatment in Hanover, but the tumour was too far advanced and he very sadly succumbed to sepsis. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, only close family could attend his funeral in Germany. A memorial service will be held in Morpeth, when this hopefully becomes possible in 2021. In his life, Mike adapted the KS motto to “In via recta cum humanitas”. Peter Freeman (KS 1961-66) writes: -

Michael Gaunt was one of my dearest friends, both at school and university, and throughout our later lives. Our respective families enjoyed many happy occasions together.

At KS, although in different houses, we shared a lot of academic and musical interests, including a love of the music of Mozart. Michael’s fine tenor voice meant he was in great demand as a singer. I recall one joint recital, with girls from the then Bath High School, of American music, in support of the American Museum in Bath, organised jointly by David Barker (KS director of music) and the formidable Miss Dewey of BHS. A combination of instrumental and small and large choruses presented some rarely performed works by 18th century American composers. The local press reported that Michael was part of a “competent vocal trio” but added, displaying perhaps a touch of artistic colonialism, that “the performance was considerably more noteworthy than some of the music.”

Michael was one of the very finest products of the Kingswood of that era and his untimely death is such a sad loss to us all. •

Roger Hailwood KS 1949-56

Charles Roger Hailwood was born in 1937 in Hankou China, now part of Wuhan. His father was working there as a Methodist Missionary. He was born into the turmoil of the Japanese invasion and at 10 weeks old was refugeed to Hong Kong when he lived for two years with his mother, but they had been separated from his

father. Reunited just prior to the evacuation of Hong Kong, they were lucky enough to be put on a ship heading back to the UK.

Brought up in Lancashire and Cambridgeshire, Roger attended Kingswood from 1949 to 1956. This was followed by National Service in the Royal Airforce, where he first encountered rudimentary computers, a technology that he would revisit much later in his career. On completing his service, Roger trained as a teacher at St Alfred’s College Winchester subsequently teaching in Hampshire and Devon, before moving to Staffordshire for a post as a Mathematician, IT specialist and Pastoral Head at The Streetly School, Sutton Coldfield where he would remain until his retirement.

It was while teaching in Devon that Roger first became involved in outdoor education, training groups of school children to complete the annual ‘Ten Tors’ challenge on Dartmoor. This continued after his move to the Midlands where he also ran the school’s Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, was active in the Scout & Guide movement, qualified as a Mountain Leader, held a senior position in the National Association for Outdoor Education and even competed in mountain marathons. Teaching and service were constant themes for Roger and after retirement he became a Governor of the local school and an advisor to the biennial Alrewas Arts Festival. The National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas was a huge part of his later life. He volunteered there as part of the initial team during the inception and planning stages and after it opened, worked as a guide and Educational Leader. He worked tirelessly as a promotional speaker for the Arboretum giving regular talks on a wide variety of topics, the length and breadth of the UK. Back in Alrewas, his assembled knowledge was poured into a number of books and he was widely regarded as the local historian.

Married to Doreen for 58 years, they had four children, Sarah, Mark, Adrian, and Emma and one grandchild Gabriella. In later years he suffered with heart irregularities, although he never let it slow down the pace of life or diminish his workload. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and although declared inoperable, seemed to respond very well to treatment. His condition worsened in 2020 as his previous heart problems were diagnosed as heart failure which combined with a rapid progression of his cancer. He passed away at home in April 2020 after a short period in hospital. Roger will always be remembered as a kind, patient, practical, and humorous man with an enormous zest for life. His great loves were his family, and the outdoors. He never stopped learning and adored telling stories and sharing knowledge. He is hugely missed by both his family and the local community. •

John Leslie Harrold KS 1957-66

John was born on 22 August 1947 and died on 18 November 2020 aged 73.

He was the only son of Leslie and Poppy Harrold and lived with them in London and Singapore before attending Priors Court then Kingswood in Bath. He was a prefect and played both Hockey and Cricket for the school.

He then attended Peterhouse, Cambridge to read History and then to qualify as a teacher continuing his hockey playing for the college and also his interest in drama, including the Royal Court Theatre.

He taught history in schools in Biggleswade and Rickmansworth and has been noted for his belief in his students and inspirational teaching style. He then became Deputy Divisional Education

Officer for North Hertfordshire. He continued to work for local educational authorities, finishing his career becoming a pioneer in setting up computing and the internet in schools in the North of England, working with Downing Street to create a new National Policy for IT in Education which continues to have an impact today.

He maintained a love of learning and intellect throughout his life, a lover of cryptic crosswords, quizzing and a member of many choirs. He will be much missed by friends and family, in particular his daughters, Kate and Lindsay and grandchildren, Olivia, Samuel and Beatrix.

 Ian with his much older brothers Ron

& David after an Old Boys match, 1954

 Rugby Sevens - Rosslyn Park, 1955

John died after a COVID-19 infection, caught in hospital during treatment for a stroke. • team to the Twickenham Rugby Sevens Tournament. Life long friends from that team were Richard Guy, Bill Arnett and Graham Heywood. Another great friend through Ian’s love of sailing which began on the Norfolk Broads on a school trip was Geoff Roberts. Ian’s mentors were Headmaster A.B. Sackett, Michael Bishop & Keith Duchars.

From Kingswood Ian joined the Royal Navy National Service – NS Upper Yardman 265 1955-57. He began as an Ordinary Seaman until his commission as Sub Lieutenant. It was there Ian learnt all his seamanship skills.

Ian Thomas Lindsay KS 1947-55

Ian died in Bristol on 2 April 2020. Born in 1936 in Wilmslow, Cheshire to Tom and Gwendoline, he was the youngest of three brothers, Ron and David, all educated at Kingswood School. Ian was a gifted and natural sportsman – sport was his whole life. He was Captain of Hockey and Rugby – a brilliant small scrum half. Twice he took his 1957-58 Ian spent a year teaching Geography at Sompting Abbot Prep School, Worthing (so that he could obtain a Sussex grant for University).

1958-61 Ian went up to Magdalene College Cambridge, where brother David was much earlier a n undergraduate. Ian was Captain of the Magdalene Rugby Team and created a Rugby 8 for the May Bumps. A good supporter was the Chaplain, Rev Simon BarringtonWard who became Dean of Coventry Cathedral. During the 2nd Year Long Vacation Ian and three friends rowed in two canoes for 14 weeks from Cambridge, via the Thames, the Channel, then the French rivers and canals, into the Mediterranean and finally to Malta.

August 1961 Ian married Glenda, a nurse and midwife, who he had met on a Cornish family holiday in 1953 (19 August because almost the end of the Cricket Season and before rugby training started!) While at Kingswood School, and to his friends’ disbelief, Ian was once able to entertain Glenda in the Headmaster, Mr Sackett’s study! Ian and Glenda settled in Bristol where he joined British Aircraft Corporation as a Graduate/ trainee, with a knowledge of French, working on Concorde in the Commercial Department. He became a Production Control Manager.

To Ian this was just a job, his life was sport and his family – they have three sons. He joined Clifton Rugby Club – scrumhalf for the Wanderers Team, was Chairman of the Ground Committee – they have the tallest goal posts in the country! Ian was known as ‘The Clifton Gnome’, the butt of many jokes! Ian was a member of West Gloucester Hockey Club and still playing at age 61, was the oldest veteran player.

1967 Ian built in the garage his first small yacht, a Mirror Dinghy, with a friend they raced the Severn Estuary. 1978-80 invited by a friend/partner, they built in our Bristol garden a 12 metre Rival yacht – the hours Ian worked gave him a quarter ownership share. Ian learnt his woodwork and building skills from one and a half years in the Kingswood Carpentry Department following a broken leg on the cricket field. With Glenda (who had hated sailing!) and friends, from August 1981 they sailed three annual summer weeks off Greece and Turkey for six years. Then the partnership ended.

1987 Ian’s own Colvic Countess 12 metre hull arrived, again in the garden. Devcalion of Trym (equivalent of Noah’s Ark). 1988 Ian retired, age 52 from BAC to spend the next four years in building his yacht – the only help was from an electrician and a heating engineer.

1992 Devcalion of Trym was launched with an R.N.L.I. fundraising event, then driven to Cobbs Quay, Poole where Ian and Glenda sailed the South Coast for 2 years.

1994 Having sold the house and garden, moved into a flat overlooking the River Avon, Ian and Glenda began 18 years of five months annual summer sailing in the Mediterranean. During this time they met and made many good and lasting friends of different nationalities. The most memorable was the then Black Rod, Parliament culminating in 2006 as his guest in the Lord’s Chamber at the State Opening. The yacht was sold 2010.

2012 Ian began to slowly lose his memory, his decline was gradual, 2016 Ian was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia. Glenda continued to care for him at home with eventual support from Homeinstead.

March 2020 Ian collapsed with pneumonia and heart failure. Glenda accompanied Ian to Southmead Hospital where for two weeks she was unable to visit due to COVID-19. Ian died alone 2 April.

59 years of marriage and a friendship of 67 years, this was a very sad end for a talented man after a full and happy life. Ian will be greatly missed by Glenda, their three married sons and seven grandchildren.

Written by Ian's widow, Glenda.

Geoff Roberts (KS 1948-55) adds his memories; For several years I was a member of Ian’s crew on the Norfolk Broads, my first experience of sailing. One soon realised Ian, the skipper, put the sailing first. He was determined that our boat would be the best in both appearance and performance. For example, all ropes would be wound up ‘pusser’ style, and once under way the fenders would be stowed on deck, not left trailing down the sides.

The sailing was highly synchronised, as seen whenever we approached a bridge. Most boats moored close to the bridge and carefully lowered the mast, but we always shot the bridge, hoping that no boat was coming in the opposite direction. Ian, silent at the tiller, relied on the remaining two or three to lower the mast and sail in the seconds before entering the narrow gap at full speed. We managed to shoot every bridge without meeting other boats head-on. Ian took great pride in this manoeuvre. This was, of course, when we were still at KS and well before he was commissioned in the Royal Navy during National Service. After a week we were an accomplished crew. •

Colin Mably KS 1954-60

The extraordinary Colin William Fisher Mably was born in London on Christmas Day, 1942 to the Reverend Percy and Ethel (“Barry”) Mably. The Mably family,

which included younger sister Elizabeth and brother Michael, travelled around England with Percy’s various postings. One of the young Colin’s favourite places to live was Seaton Delaville in the Newcastle area. There he got his first pair of football boots, learned to speak Geordie, and became a lifelong supporter of Newcastle United FC. Colin came to Kingswood School in 1953 at age 11 and was a boarding student there until age 17. He made many friends at Kingswood and particularly enjoyed playing sports, performing on the guitar, and handling the lighting for theatrical productions. In his later years, Colin became the Kingswood representative in the United States.

After Kingswood, Colin attended Westminster College at Oxford, exiting with a BA and teaching certification. He also attended the Froebel Institute, which helped to mould his farsighted outlook on teaching and learning: Start with what students know and move on from there. Beginning in 1964, he taught in several inner London primary schools. A talented guitarist and bass player, he played in London bands at night, finally ending up as bass player in the popular reggae band Jabba.

In 1968, he met and married the lovely Lynne Benton, a librarian. They had three wonderful children: Sam, now the head of a digital agency; Hannah, a video producer; and Luke, an actor. Eventually, they moved to Hillcourt Road in South London, where they lived until the marriage ended in 1986.

Colin left teaching primary school to become a Lecturer at Furzedown College of Education. In 1974, he became Lecturer, and then Principal Lecturer at Northeast London Polytechnic (now University). While there, he became Short Course Programme Director, and, in that role, was able to facilitate the creation of unusual and innovative programmes that changed students’ lives forever.

Colin and his university colleague Cornel da Costa launched the International Seminar for Teacher Education in 1981 (later to become the International Society for Teacher Education, or ISfTE). Colin became the organization’s Secretary General and continued as such for 10 years. The unique idea of the seminar was to have teacher educators from across the globe convene annually for a multi-day residential program in a location free from distractions. The conference continues to this day, in a different location around the world each year. What makes the concept so brilliant and long-lasting is that participants bring papers describing works in progress. They work in paper groups to share ideas that often have a transformative impact on global teacher education.

In recognition of his efforts in international teacher education, in 1989 Colin received the prestigious Medal of Peace from Charles University in what was then Czechoslovakia.

In the mid-1980s, Colin eventually left university life to start a video production company, Evergreen Communications, with two partners. They produced a ground-breaking laserdisc series for the British government, entitled Modular Investigations into Science and Technology (MIST). They also produced a mathematics laserdisc entitled World of Number. What made these two products unique was that they consisted of short video vignettes showing primary school children solving science and maths problems on their own. The investigative question was set up via video at the start of each sequence, and then the children proceeded to devise methods of solving it. The videos had two soundtracks: One for students and the second for teachers. The dual soundtracks made the laserdiscs valuable both as a teacher training tool, and for educating children.

MIST did well in the UK, so the Evergreen partners became interested in how well it might fare in the United States. They set up a partnership with a U.S. company and organised a group of U.S. science education experts to review MIST and advise on how to adapt it for the U.S. market.

Colin had made several earlier trips to the States during his time as a Principal Lecturer. During these visits, he met with professors of teacher education at universities in Maryland, New York, Texas, and other States to exchange ideas. He became enamoured of the wide-open spaces that the States afforded and was eager to return. The U.S. MIST trial gave him that opportunity.

The meeting of science education experts to review MIST took place in late 1989 at a hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to three professors of teacher education from U.S. universities, the review panel included Dr. Ann Benbow of the American Chemical Society. She travelled to Minneapolis with Dr. James Greenberg of the University of Maryland, who was on her doctoral dissertation committee and who was a close friend of Colin through ISfTE. A prophetic - their friends would say “historic” - coincidence.

Ann was captivated from the start by Colin’s huge smile, intellect, talent, charm, and fetching red-rimmed glasses as he sat across the conference

room table from her. She didn’t know that anyone in the world existed like Colin. He, in turn, made sure that he sat across from her at the group dinner at a Minneapolis restaurant that night. He knew he had made the right decision when all the nonBrits around the table ordered iced tea and soft drinks and Ann asked for a Glenlivit. Their working partnership began in earnest when, the morning after the MIST review meeting, she met Colin and his Evergreen partner Peter Morley in the hotel lobby to present a template for teacher materials to accompany MIST in the U.S. She took on the task of creating the teacher materials and the partnership continued for the rest of their lives together.

In addition to being a brilliant teacher and teacher educator, Colin was a talented artist, illustrator, and writer. Together, he and Ann collaborated to produce many science curricula, videos, textbooks, and science trade books for children. A number of these were funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Colin and Ann also directed and team-taught in national U.S. programs for hundreds of science teachers, including Operation Chemistry, Operation Primary Physical Science, Science Across the Generations, and residential teacher academies for primary and secondary teachers.

Colin came to live permanently in the U.S. state of Maryland with Ann and her children Jessie, Sam, and Danny in 1995. They married in 1999 and put their passion for cooking to work by catering their own wedding reception at their house. This started a tradition of big parties that continued for years. As Colin was a Christmas baby, he hated Christmas Day (not enough presents). Therefore, he and Ann started the Boxing Day party. Americans don’t celebrate (or even know about) Boxing Day, so this was novel. They would spend all Christmas Day cooking Indian and traditional British fare for Boxing Day (except for a trip to the local lake for a Scotch). Next day, 50 or so friends would show up for the event.

Colin also was a skilled video producer. His work, which won many awards, included videos on Earth science, energy, the role of women in science, and careers in science. He also created a seminal video celebrating the 50th anniversary of the International Union of Geological Sciences which was narrated by Sir David Attenborough. In recent years, Colin became an evaluator of several large science education projects. His long experience in the field of science education, as well as his wisdom as a teacher educator, made him invaluable as an evaluator of programmes.

For fun, Colin started drawing cats. He had always been a cat lover, since the time he had blackand-white cats Spatz, Mickey, and Humphrey at Hillcourt Road in London. Colin’s artwork got a following where he lived in Charles County, Maryland, and he exhibited a number of his cat drawings. He eventually was invited to join the Board of the Charles County Arts Alliance.

Colin was always adventurous. As a birthday present one year, Ann bought Colin flying lessons. He started taking these and, as a result, found a new passion. With flying instructor Jeff, who became a good friend, Colin eventually soloed. Once, he rang Ann from the air to let her know that he was flying over their house and to come into the front garden. She got a true Spitfirestyle wing-wave that day. Colin loved cars all his life and was known for owning a series of “old bangers.” In the States, he bought an old Jaguar and installed a hitch to use the car to pull an equally old boat. Both leaked – one oil; the other water, but he loved them both. He followed Formula 1 racing avidly and was a huge fan of British driver Lewis Hamilton. Colin and Ann travelled to Formula 1 races in the States and in Montreal on numerous occasions.

Colin was legendary for his kindness. He supported numerous charities and always kept at least one $20 note in his pocket in case he met anyone in need during the day. He once gave several of these notes to a man who asked him for help in a Houston parking lot. The man took the money and walked away. When he realised how much Colin had given him, he came back and hugged him.

Colin succumbed to pneumonia on May 31, 2020. His loss is immeasurable to the many people around the world who loved him. He is survived by his wife Ann; sister Elizabeth; children Sam, Hannah, and Luke; grandchildren Jake, Sophie, Olivia, and Alex; and stepchildren Jessie, Sam, and Danny. •

Roger Norton Straker KS 1946-53

Roger Straker was born into a devout Methodist family in Beckenham in 1934 and, after several years evacuation in Betwys-y-Coed, arrived at Kingswood shortly after the War. He relished the return of peacetime activities and began a lifelong love of music and sport, attending numerous events as they resumed. A treasured memory was watching Don Bradman’s final Test innings at the Oval in 1948 and he continued to attend Test matches annually, seeing the Australians at the Oval again in September 2019, over 70 years after his first visit. He was also a frequent visitor to the proms at the Albert Hall, but was forced to give up his trumpet after a collision while cycling from Kingswood to Bristol to watch football removed his front teeth. Following national service in Malaysia during the communist insurrection, when he was commissioned into the RASC, he went on to Jesus College Cambridge, where he gained a degree in economics, and became very involved in student politics. As Chair of the Liberal Students Club he chaired a debate in 1957 at which a motion to decriminalise homosexuality was passed. It took another ten years before this passed into law. During his time at Cambridge, he first met his future wife, Ann Lovell, who fortuitously lived nearby in Beckenham. After marrying in 1960 they moved to Glasgow where Roger took up a post in the Personnel Department of Hoover. He also stood unsuccessfully for the Liberals in the 1964 general election in Glasgow Pollok. His 11.5% share of the vote was considered a triumph.

He spent the rest of his career in personnel departments where he was often in the forefront of the fraught industrial relations of the era. After moving south in 1967 he worked at one of the constituent companies of what became British Leyland in Cowley, Oxford, following Tony Benn’s nationalisation in 1975. His children can personally attest to the failure of this policy as we were ferried around in a succession of the terrible company cars of the era. His experience of negotiating with the powerful unions of the 1970s nevertheless stood him in good stead for the rest of his career, at the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and then London Underground, where union militancy continued unchecked. He was noted for his consensual negotiating style and was skilled at bridging the often very large gap between union and management positions, partly because of the warm personal relations and trust established with many of the most powerful union leaders of the era.

Roger’s negotiating skills were also useful in retirement where he successfully led the merger of two Methodist circuits in Brighton and Hove, alongside a number of other part-time roles and voluntary work. Roger had three children, nine grandchildren and one great grandchild and was delighted that his connection with the school was maintained through his son, David (KS 197782), younger daughter Elizabeth (KS 1982-84) and granddaughter Olivia (KS 2015-17). He was last able to visit the School in 2018 and Kingswood and Methodism remained a key influence throughout his life. •