5 minute read
Profile
Peter Woodcock 1928–2018
Peter and Mary lived in Melbourn for 20 years, and were very involved in the community.
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Mary was on the Magazine and History Book committees and she started the popular Saturday morning Coffee Stop at the Commuity Hall behind All Saints’ Church.
Peter was born in Cudworth, in South Yorkshire where his father was curate, but they moved to Nottingham when he was three months old, and had moved six times by the time he was ten. Peter went to St Hugh’s School in Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire, but after D-Day in 1940 the school was evacuated and he was sent to St John’s in Leatherhead.
Although he was a scientist, taking Chemistry, Physics and Maths at A level, he was very keen on the arts, particularly music, all his life, and sang mainly church music.
When Peter was sixteen he volunteered for the Royal Navy, and joined ‘Y Scheme’, where suitable boys were selected directly from schools, which supposedly led to a commission in the R.N.V.R. (RN Volunteers). At eighteen he left school, and was sent to Torpoint in Cornwall, where he trained as an Ordinary Seaman, partly on wooden ships. He was promoted to Leading Seaman after which time he spent his time teaching basic maths at Chatham R.N. Barracks. He was then generously funded to go to University. He decided to study chemistry and was accepted by Oxford, but there were no places in 1949.
Rather than wait for another year he took his father’s advice and applied to Bede Collage Durham. At that time Bede accepted only ex-service men or those who had completed military service. After the war the government funded grants to all ex-service applicants and the college contained 500 undergraduates in total.
Peter continued choral singing and debating and set up a dining club with four others who remained friends. He played rugby and was a keen ice skater, becoming resident goal keeper for Durham Colleges Ice Hockey team.
Peter and Mary, his future wife, met at a Saturday night dance in 1951. Mary had turned down Cambridge in favour of Durham.
Peter’s first job was with the Vacuum Oil Company, part of Mobil in London. Peter and Mary were married in 1954 in Brighton and moved to Kirby where he ran a Chemical factory. They moved to an unfurnished flat in Huyton, near the school in which Mary taught.
Peter went to auctions to find furniture and bought bed, a dining room suite, a sofa and two chairs. And a baby grand piano!
They moved several times, to Stourbridge, then to Coulsden and then, in 1965, to Bishop’s Stortford where he ran market Research / Information for FW Berk. In 1970 he advised the company that changes were needed if the firm was not to go under, and as a result he lost his job. Six months later the firm was sold. During these years, their four children were born.
He was then offered a role at Middlesex Poly lecturing in Business Studies and spent 20 productive years there. After the UK joined the Common Market he established a course with Rheims, a BA in European Business Administration, in which both British and French students spent 2 years in each country. This was later extended to Germany. He was also involved in developing an MBA, the first in a Polytechnic. After retiring, to Melbourn, he co-authored a book ‘Effective Entrepreneurship’.
Peter was interested in many things, and collected clocks – having 13 in the house at one time. He was also keen on flying and took up gliding as a hobby.
Peter had a triple heart bypass, from which he made an excellent recovery. Eventually, after Mary became ill, they moved North into a village where Mary could receive all the care she needed. After she died Peter picked himself up and continued life on his own. He made many interesting trips, to Israel, North Cyprus and Assisi. He was driving South to visit children and grandchildren a few months before he died. He was very happy to be able to celebrate his 90th birthday with family and friends a few months before he died.
Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire are looking for Home Visiting Volunteers Can you give a family the most precious gift - your time? Our volunteers are all parents or grandparents who can give a few hours a week to help families who are finding it difficult to cope. All parents need emotional and practical help to get through the first few years, but not everyone has friends or family nearby. This is when Home-Start volunteers can help! For more details contact Sarah or Jackie at: Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire, Unit 6, Valley Farm, Station Road, Meldreth, Royston, Herts, SG8 6JP Tel: 01763 262262 or e-mail admin@hsrsc.org.uk www.hsrsc.org.uk Registered Charity No 1105385
Melbourn Community Hall is in the centre ofthe village behind All Saints Church If you would like to hire the hall contact email: hallbookings@live.co.uk
richardarnott.com
GARDEN DESIGN & BUILD
Richard Arnott
Read monthly editorial by Richard in The Listings Magazine For the Community by the Community
The Hub in Melbourn is a vibrant, local place to hold your next business or community meeting. What we can offer you: • 3 modern and well-equipped rooms holding between 4 and 25 people • A well designed building at the heart of a beautiful village • Onsite cafe and catering • A large free car park • A fully alarmed building, all night security lighting,
CCTV cameras within the building (if you were leaving equipment set up for your meeting) • Two disabled parking spaces with automatic doors and dropped pavements. DDA compliant. • Room set up as per your request • Catering packages to suit all budgets • Free WiFi • Telephone conferencing • Projector/screen • Flip chart • TV • Pens and paper “It’s one of my favourite venues. The staff go out of their way to make the trainers and delegates feel welcome and well looked after.” Elisabeth Goodman, River Rhee consulting.
Contact us for more information
Email centremanager@melbournhub.co.uk or call 01763 263303 visit our website Follow us on www.melbournhub.co.uk @thehubmelbourn Facebook
