Obituaries

Geoffrey Chater-Robinson

(B3 1935-38)

The distinctive actor Geoffrey Chater, who died at the age of 100, was a familiar face on countless television drama series from Dixon of Dock Green to Callan, The Cleopatras and The Bill. Although he had a veneer of superiority about him, a sheen of hauteur, Geoffrey was rarely cast as a villain. Instead, his default mode of disdainful pride gave him a natural, not necessarily attractive, authority on stage and screen. A curling lip and a cruel gaze, allied to a preternatural sense of timing – he rarely played any scene in a rush – created a presence that belied his average height and build. On film, he is best remembered as the school chaplain in Lindsay Anderson’s If…. On stage at the Royal Court, he was a Tory minister called Alice in Howard Brenton’s Magnificence. Geoffrey’s status as an Aunt Sally of the establishment could be deflected more subtly through playing a variety of lords, dukes, lawyers and doctors. Geoffrey was born in Hertfordshire to Peggy, an actress, and Laurence Chater-Robinson. Geoffrey first determined to become an actor himself when he saw his mother play the juvenile lead in Merton Hodge’s The Wind and the Rain. After Marlborough, Geoffrey joined the army and was soon promoted to the rank of captain in the Royal Fusiliers. He saw active duty in India and Burma, where he wrote and performed in comic revues. On repatriation in 1946, he dropped the Robinson part of his surname and went straight into weekly rep at Windsor, followed by spells in Hereford and Birmingham, making a West End debut in 1951 as a constable in Master Crook.

He was at the Old Vic for the 1954-55 season and on television in 1957. His big break came with the newly formed Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962 when, in an experimental season at the Arts Theatre, he played a suburban stockbroker in Everything in the Garden and the Duke of Florence in Women Beware Women. This led to prominent billing in Domino, a French farce at the Lyric, Hammersmith, and, in 1965, the role of a rich landowner married to Ingrid Bergman in Turgenev’s A Month in the Country. Geoffrey was now established as an actor of both style and reliability, landing many key roles on the stage through the ‘70s. He also appeared in a few more films including Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi in 1982, in which he was a British government advocate grilling General Dyer after the 1919 massacre of peaceful protesters at Amritsar. Geoffrey was a member of the MCC and enjoyed shrimping at Camber Sands near his home in East Sussex. He married Jennifer Hill in 1949. She and their daughter, Annabel (PR 1975-77), and two sons, Simon (PR 1965-70) and Piers (PR 1968-73), survive him.

Grant de Jersey Lee

(C3 1935-39)

Grant de Jersey Lee was born in 1921 in Sri Lanka on a tea estate that was managed by his father. When he was four he had appendicitis and his father took him for treatment. On returning they discovered his sister had contracted amoebic dysentery and had died. Grant always wondered if these events were why he was so passionate about medicine. He left school just before the outbreak of the Second World War to study medicine at St Thomas’. In 1944, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. After the war he was posted as Regimental Medical Officer to Khartoum and Suez.

He enjoyed some aspects of the war although he maintained that he was not very brave. Once he was sent to recover some wounded soldiers under German shelling and was terrified. However, he soon realised that the shells were falling in front of the rescue party and that the Germans were in fact clearing a safe route through a minefield for them to attend the wounded.

Obituaries

returned to the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith. Later he was a senior registrar and lecturer at St Thomas’ and engaged in research into pulmonary capillary blood flow. In 1956, Grant and his wife moved to Oxford where he became first assistant to the Regis Professor of Medicine with the responsibility of setting up the Department of Investigative Cardiology. From 1960 to 1986, Grant ran a diagnostic cardiac catheter laboratory and studied the effects of pulsatile capillary blood flow upon carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange within the lungs. Later he joined forces with engineers and clinicians to measure blood velocity in the great vessels entering and leaving the heart; to study the pulmonary venous system and the effects of myocardial disease upon the performance of the ventricles; and lastly to study the characteristics of venous circulation and compared left atrial pressure and blood flow within the pulmonary veins, studying both animals and humans. This was novel at the time.

Although Grant retired from his NHS post in 1984, he remained actively involved in medicine until into his late 80s, advising WHO medical training programmes and tutoring in Fiji, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Grant was above all a man of great energy and intellect. He loved a challenge and an argument. He could be opinionated, even dogmatic, but he also had good self-knowledge and could be self-deprecating. He had a mischievous sense of humour and was a mixture of eccentricity and conventionality.

Ian Bremner

(C1 1937-41)

It was at Marlborough College that Ian learned to love music, singing in the choir and playing the trumpet in the orchestra. He left Marlborough at the height of the war, but, because he had obtained a place at Cambridge, national service was postponed and he spent two years at Trinity, studying Mathematics to start with and then switching to Engineering. Here he rowed for Trinity and was able to develop his musical talents, on one occasion singing in the Cambridge University Musical Society at King’s College under the direction of Ralph Vaughan Williams. During the war, his father had developed an interest in gardening and livestock as a way of ‘doing his bit’, and Ian found great satisfaction in helping out; it was to be a spark that lit a lifelong interest. On graduation in 1944, he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a Probationary Temporary Electrical Midshipman RNVR. When he left the Navy in 1947, he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve (RNVSR), a pre-war association that was enlarged after the war to accommodate those who wished to be considered for call-up in an emergency but were unpaid and kept themselves abreast of Naval affairs in their spare time, but without specific training. He has maintained a lifelong interest in the ships of the Royal Navy, whether of this or any other period. He was employed in his grandfather’s magazine, Shipping World, as a technical journalist. He also found that a new GP had moved into Brasted village with two very attractive daughters, one of whom quickly became very important in his life. Dinah Weston shared his love of music and animals, and also learned to share a love of sailing. Ian taught himself to sail while in the Navy, and afterwards bought a 10-foot ex-RN dinghy. Later, Ian and Dinah’s brother Peter became co-owners of an 18-foot clinker-built dayboat called Elizabeth, and Dinah came on many adventures round the south coast of England. Having stopped playing trumpet in the Navy, Ian took it up again after a gap of 15 years in 1960 and was soon in demand from many organisations in the Sevenoaks area, including the Sevenoaks Symphony Orchestra, where he became Chairman in addition to regular first trumpet. He also played French horn regularly when required and was much in demand on Remembrance Sunday each year to play the Last Post. At the age of 90, Ian joined the Ludlow Wind Band, which plays concerts regularly, and continued to play the Last Post and Reveille at the Remembrance Day services in the parish, as he has done every year from 1988-2014.

Ian continued to take an active interest in all his family affairs despite decreasing mobility and thoroughly enjoyed his 99th birthday party on 6th June 2022.

Ian Bremner

Alastair Stewart

(PR 1939-43)

Sir Alastair Robin Stewart (3rd Baronet and 9th Laird of Strathgarry) died peacefully, aged 96, on 13th February at home in Walters Cottage with his beloved wife Patricia and his daughters Judith, Lucy and Catherine (LI 1974-76) beside him. He had been quietly ‘winding down’ for several months and the end was very gentle. Alastair was a director of Neale and Wilkinson Ltd from 1947-71 and the managing director of Stewart and Harvey Ltd from 1971-90.

A commemoration and celebration of Alastair’s full and happy life took place on 17th May 2022 in Essex. Instead of flowers, Alastair had requested donations to the Alastair and Patricia Stewart Charitable Fund, managed by Essex Community Foundation.

The family expressed its gratitude for the love and support he received in his final months.

Michael Wilson

(LI 1942-46)

Michael knew his life was coming to an end: he was not afraid, in fact, he was looking forward to leaving his failing body behind. He lived every day of his 92 years to the full. His daily meditation during the last 25 or more years of his life sustained him through many medical and other challenges. He was an immensely self-disciplined, selfless, public-spirited person – yet full of fun with a good sense of humour. Born in Radlett, Hertfordshire, his father was a family doctor of a Yorkshire family. Having found letters written from the trenches during the First World War, he published his father’s letters in a small book entitled From Trench to Sky, as his father, having been badly wounded in the Somme, had joined the Air Force. He was educated at Marlborough and Brasenose College, Oxford, having served on the lower deck of the Royal Navy in the last years of the war. He joined J & P Coats, the Paisley Cotton firm, and spent 28 fulfilling years in South America and another seven in the UK. He had a real gift of managing his staff and remained in touch with many for over 50 years. He was brought up in the Church of England and was well nurtured in his faith by the Christian faith of his family. In the last 10 years of his life, Michael was determined to write his own memoirs. Having written two books about his father who served through both world wars, he did not have much creative energy left. He had a big heart operation in 2008 and had been given 10 years to live. Actually, God was good and gave him two and a half years longer. He needed every single day. In fact, six hours after the delivery of the completed memoirs he died peacefully at home. He had finished his earthly work. His description of life at Littlefield House, Marlborough College, during the Second World War makes interesting reading – not only memories of happy formative years, but a part of our British social history. Among the unsung heroes of that time are the retired members of the teaching profession who willingly returned to fill the gaps left by the younger men and women who had been called up to join the fighting forces. Michael fully appreciated the sacrifice they had made to keep Marlborough well served by an experienced teaching staff and we wish Marlborough all the very best in his memory. There is a copy of Michael’s book in the school library.

Robin Ferguson

(CO 1944-49)

The Reverend Robin Ferguson was born in Putney and brought up in Reigate. He joined Marlborough in 1944 as a full boarder and has memories of swimming in the unheated outdoor pool, which could have been the start of his love of sea and river swimming. Not being very sporty, he enjoyed cycle rides in the local area, something he continued to enjoy into his mid-80s. In 1947, he was taken out of school to sail to Buenos Aires with his parents and sister aboard a cargo ship carrying refrigerated meat. The trip was arranged by his father who worked in the coal shipping business.

Obituaries

On leaving school, he completed 18 months of national service in the army before reading Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Worcester College, Oxford. In 1955, he became an Associate of the London College of Divinity and obtained an MA in 1957. He spent a year of his theological training in Wycliffe College, Toronto. He was ordained deacon in 1957 and priest in 1958. His first curacy from 1957-60 was at Holy Trinity Brompton. He lived in the attic of the large vicarage and met his future wife, Patricia, niece of the vicar Pat Gilliat, who was lodging in the basement. He worked as a priest at St Matthew’s Brixton from 1960-63 as well as obtaining a Certificate of Education from London University and went on to have curacies in Brixton, Framlingham, Haverhill and Richmond. He was also the school chaplain in Richmond and taught full-time in Haverhill and Richmond.

He worked as an Education Welfare Officer for Wandsworth from 1974-76 followed by a summer term teaching in Westbrook Hay in Hemel Hempstead. From 1976-87, he was priest-in-charge of Shillingstone, Dorset, a role which encompassed both chaplain and teacher at Croft House School, including teaching three of his daughters. From 1987-96 he was rector of Milton Abbas, Hilton, Cheselbourne and Melcombe Bingham churches. He and Tricia retired to Wareham in 1996 and became very involved in the local churches. He continued to officiate until his late 80s and was chaplain of Wareham Hospital. They volunteered for the National Trust at Corfe Castle for over 20 years. He was widowed in 2018 and continued to be involved in lots of activities. He loved spending time with his four daughters and 10 grandchildren.

Francis (Frank) Lowe

(A2/C2 1948-52)

Malta played a pivotal role in Frank’s life. Born there to a naval family in 1934, it was where he met his wife Annie in 1958, and where his son was born. Frank first attended the village school in Limekilns on the banks of the River Forth, a community for many naval families based at Rosyth. At 18, he joined the Royal Navy as a National Service Ordinary Seaman. His qualities were soon recognised. Within two months he was posted to HMS Implacable as Upper Yardsman, the first step to becoming a commissioned officer, and was then promoted to Midshipman. A short submarine course convinced him that his future was to be a submariner. He was quickly promoted to Sub Lieutenant, serving in the Mediterranean and Far East Fleets. Further training courses followed, including the HMS Dolphin Submarine Training Class where he won the Herbert Lott Tankard, awarded to those who come top of that long and demanding course. Posted to HMS Sea Devil in the Mediterranean Fleet, it was in Malta in 1958 that Frank met Wren Ann Wilson. They married the following year. A series of postings followed, serving as Navigator, Sonar and Communications Officer and gaining promotion to First Lieutenant in 1961. In 1965, he underwent the Submarine Commanding Officer Qualifying Course, known in the service as The Perisher, and was given command of HMS Alderney, followed by HMS Finwhale. Promoted Commander in 1971, he was appointed to command HMS Revenge, a Resolution-class ballistic missile submarine carrying Polaris nuclear missiles, undertaking Cold War active patrols. In 1980, he was promoted to Captain of the Tenth Submarine Squadron (Polaris) at HMS Neptune, Faslane, with four nuclear submarines under his command. In 1985, his final posting was Captain of HMS Mercury, the Royal Naval Communications and Navigation School. Frank transferred from the active list to the retired list in 1989 but continued as Senior Schools Liaison Officer visiting schools,

Christopher Hogg

including Marlborough, assessing and encouraging likely candidates for the Navy. In 1986, Frank and Annie purchased Moonrakers in Sutton Veny, near Warminster, and it was from there that he enjoyed his very active retirement, devoting himself to his family and his many interests. He was a sidesman and treasurer of the PCC, leading a fundraising stewardship campaign, Chairman of the Warminster branch of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, and Moth Officer of the Wiltshire branch of Butterfly Conservation, giving talks illustrated with his own photographs. A passionate gardener, enthusiastic fly fisherman and birdwatcher, he travelled the length and breadth of Britain in pursuit of his hobbies. He was also a supporter of Bath Rugby, and an active OM, attending Club Day and other functions as often as possible.

Christopher Hogg

(CO 1950-54)

Sir Christopher Hogg was chairman of Reuters during a period of spectacular growth that turned to stock market turmoil and job losses for thousands of customers in banking and financial services. Christopher, then chairman of textiles and chemicals giant Courtaulds, was appointed a non-executive director of Reuters in 1984 when the company floated in London and New York, and within a year was chairman. Reuters was on the ascent. The news agency was being transformed into a hi-tech dealing and financial information service. By the time Christopher stepped down in 2004, it was suffering from stiff competition from rival information service providers such as Bloomberg, which had grabbed market share from Reuters. Board meetings during the 1980s were lively by all accounts. Two fiercely competitive, larger-than-life Fleet Street press barons were also directors, and Christopher, described by The Times as an ‘intimidating but civilised captain of industry who hired as well as he fired’, had to keep order.

When Christopher stood down as chairman in 2004, chief executive Tom Glocer paid tribute, saying, ‘In his 18 years as chairman, he has guided Reuters through many very good years and some challenging ones, but his judgment, intelligence and strong moral compass have inspired us all. He has stayed in the chair when it would have been far easier for him personally to retire, and he has provided me with wise counsel and support.’

David Fletcher

(B1 1958-61)

Born and bred in Cheshire, David moved south to Bristol in the early 1960s. Here he made his mark in the printing and packaging world before joining the then emerging energetic market in industrial work wear.

In his spare time, David was an accomplished actor and proved to be a leading light, performing in a wide range of different roles with one of Bristol’s foremost amateur dramatic groups. David was very involved with local politics in his later years. He was a Parish Councillor and a South Gloucestershire Council Conservative Councillor, becoming Chairman of his local association – a post which he held for 15 years. He enjoyed a multi-faceted career, as a businessman, actor, conservationist, fundraiser, local government office, raconteur. In all of these, he excluded his own special ebullient charm and always a joie de vivre. David’s family has connections with Marlborough College that extend over three generations. He is the beloved husband of Sue. They were married for over 50 years and share a love of theatre, travel and fine dining. David will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Antony Reynell

(CR 1958-88)

Born in 1930, Antony Reynell went from Rugby to New College, Oxford, as a Classics scholar. He taught Classics and English Literature at Marlborough and later Philosophy. He and his wife, Diana,

Obituaries

lived on the High Street in the 1960s and ‘70s, where they gave regular dinners for Antony’s lauded guest speakers and teas to his personal tutees. Later they altered their lifestyle completely, moving for years to a cottage with no electricity, out in the hills beyond Mildenhall, where Antony relished the peace and quiet, reading extensively and listening to music. Finally, in the early 2000s, long after his retirement and a brief sojourn in London, there was a final move to a bigger house, among tall trees, on the edge of the Avebury stone circle. They brought up all four of their children in Marlborough and grew attached to the place, with its gallops, Savernake Forest and the wild downs along the Ridgeway. Antony’s passing was as tranquil as his life had been, for which his remaining family are most grateful.

Stuart Annan

(C3 1959-64)

Stuart was educated at Oakley Hall Preparatory School, where as a boarder from the tender age of eight, his discovery of a love of sport helped distract him from inevitable homesickness. Arriving at Marlborough he flourished, establishing a talent in many co-curricular activities but in particular cricket, a game he adored his whole life.

Stuart was the second member of the Annan family to attend Marlborough College, after his father Russell (C3 1926-30) and before his brother Edward (C2 1961-65) and his eldest daughter Lucy (MM 1990-92). Stuart’s time at Marlborough was filled with great memories (and many amusing tales), which he often reflected upon. Whilst there he excelled at sport, being a champion Fives player, as well as a fast-opening bowler for the 1st XI Cricket team, and subsequently the Marlborough Blues Cricket Club, the Free Foresters, the Privateers and his home club, Woldingham Village, where he went on to hold several offices including Vice President. In the winter season, he played for Sanderstead Hockey Club for many years. After leaving Marlborough, he pursued a career in the timber trade, first joining Bambergers Ltd, and spent a few months at a mill in La Guerche, France, becoming fluent in French, followed by three months on Vancouver Island, Canada, gaining more knowledge and experience. In February 1972, Stuart married Sally and they settled in Warlingham, Surrey, close to where they had grown up and met each other. In 1977, Stuart was approached by Parker Plywood to set up an office and warehouse. They spent many happy years in the Midlands, with Stuart forging a successful career. In the mid-’80s, Stuart and five other directors set up a new company, Associated Plywood, and later he went on to run Gimsons in Leicester, before moving on to Legal & General as a Financial Consultant. He continued to play cricket and squash into his 40s and in later years took up golf, becoming a respected member of Leicestershire Golf Club and latterly Mullion GC in Cornwall. Many tours with golfing friends around the UK resulted in numerous trophies, of which he was very proud! To all who knew him, Stuart was true gentleman, a great friend, a generous host (the wine always flowed), and a wonderful storyteller with a fantastic sense of humour. He was smart, well read, conscientious, wise, kind, patient, loyal and made everyone feel welcome and at ease in his company. Most of all, he was a dedicated and adored family man. He is greatly missed by his wife, daughters, sons-in-law and six grandchildren.

David Charlesworth

(PR 1965-68)

David Charlesworth was one of the most influential woodworking writers and teachers of the last century. Though he was a professional furniture-maker by trade, David was known worldwide for his three books and multiple long-form videos, which explored the details of furniture and sharpening technique in exquisite detail. He is perhaps most known for his ‘Ruler Trick’, a simple sharpening hack that greatly shortens the time required to set up and polish a hand plane’s blade for use. No matter what technique David studied, he brought a methodical and open-minded attitude to the task, as opposed to a historical approach. As a result, David’s

David Charlesworth

research nearly always resulted in discovering new and better ways to perform old tasks. David studied furniture-making with Edward Baly, the founding member of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen. In 1973, he began working as a professional craftsman, and later he turned his attention to writing and teaching. David was a frequent contributor to Furniture & Cabinet Making magazine in the UK, and many of his best articles were compiled into his first book, David Charlesworth’s Furniture-Making Techniques. David’s influence on the craft of woodworking cannot be overstated. So many woodworkers and woodworking instructors have been influenced by his books, videos and methods. In fact, his influence is so widespread that many don’t even realise they are using modern techniques he developed for jointing board’s edges and faces.

Jeremy Woodhouse

(CR 1966-94)

I was sad to read in the 2021 Marlburian Club Magazine of the death of Jeremy Woodhouse (CR 1966-94) and noticed there was no obituary. I strongly felt the need to share my recollections of an inspiring and very human teacher. I probably have less experience than many who knew him as a House Tutor, a hockey player or an A level teacher of his subject specialism Modern History, but his teaching was probably more foundational than I realised then or even now. He was my form master in the Hundred, which meant he was responsible for English, and he also covered for me the key year of O level History. As an English teacher his quality was evident and remarked on by others from our first lesson, as he took us through T S Eliot’s Triumphal March with a depth of feeling for the language and rhythm of poetry we’d not been used to.

Subsequently he covered a huge variety of materials, asking us to put ourselves into all kinds of situations and voices, whether it be letters, advertising or imaginative writing (‘How I murdered my form master’ was one of the less conventional tasks set for prep); or for more prosaic skills, that good old standby textbook The Art of Summary. But you never felt he had had to think impatiently ‘What shall I do next with this group?’ (and many of us who have also been teachers must have had this thought). There was always something fresh and new. So, in many ways, he taught us how to write, but also how to read. We always had to have a reading book on the go, and it had to be a quality book. Thrillers and other non-literary genres were tolerated, but they were bedtime reading, for when the feeling of slumber was coming on and concentration not really required – this he said with a smile on his face, knowing it was only partly realistic, but he still kept us to the discipline of keeping on with a classic, or a Penguin Modern Classic at least. He didn’t overstretch us – even Shakespeare was left to the Eng Lit classes or A level year – so he had a pretty good idea of what a 14- or 15-year-old could tolerate. He also knew how to engage his classes, and in his own way was a pioneer of non-traditional methods: the desks in his classroom were rearranged from the standard rows to form a semicircle, allowing that degree of informality and discussion he was so good at. For History O level it was a slightly different story: a substantial syllabus (England under George III and after) was gone through in meticulous detail. The textbooks were pretty old fashioned, even for those days, and we relied on his clear narration and explanation as the story unfolded and we took our detailed notes, lesson after lesson. It was more traditional, but the detail brought you in to what was going on far more thoroughly than anything I’d done before, and if you followed it all you would certainly know your stuff. Maybe his approach mirrored his handwriting – comments on your work came back in the tiniest of script, yet amazingly still legible. His way of breaking up the historical detail and introducing a lighter element was a weekly current affairs period, where we had to bring news stories we’d read in the past week and share them with the rest of the class – a bit of a stretch for that age group, but whereas mine were probably always dull and pedestrian, some brought funnier and more daring elements. Jeremy coped with it all, with a wry smile or a chuckle of amusement – that sense of humour, allied to his firmness, was his human side and it gave you security as a pupil. Indeed, he said of me on one report that I sometimes seemed glad to be able to relax and be made to laugh; I think he encouraged both the seriousness and the sense of fun, and for that and all the skills he imparted I’m grateful. Bill Grundy (C1 1969-73)

Obituaries

Nicholas Pelly

(B3 1967-70)

Nick Pelly was born in 1953 in Wellington, New Zealand, and died in Pratteln, Switzerland, his home for 25 plus years following an earlier globe-trotting career in the oil exploration industry with Schlumberger. After Marlborough, he spent a gap year mostly in Canada followed by a Mechanical Engineering degree from Birmingham University. Nick then joined Schlumberger at their Training Centre in Holland. He was subsequently deployed between 1975 and 1992 to Aberdeen, Connecticut, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Venezuela, Norway, California and London. Nick certainly had stamina and determination.

Following Schlumberger, and with a strong desire to return to his expat way of life, Nick with his second wife, Sally, and their family relocated to Basel, Switzerland, where he initially worked for the pharmaceutical giant Novartis.

Nick was a man of action throughout his life with a love of fast cars, sailing, skiing, climbing and much else besides; the climbing beginning while at Marlborough with the outdoor activities department. Nick travelled widely and to wild, remote places. He will be remembered best by his family and friends by his epitaph as being a true ‘Citizen of the World’.

John Wilkinson

(CR 1967-93)

John Wilkinson was a member of the Modern Languages Department for 25 years, teaching French and German. He ran the Toulouse French exchange between Marlborough and Le Caousou, and organised language trips abroad as well as the Chapel Choir tour to Gascony in 1987.

John took early retirement in 1992 and moved to Gascony to create and run his restaurant, Chai John, while at the same time teaching English in the post-baccalaureate Classes Prépas in Toulouse. He took on the role of regional secretary of the Marlburian Club South West France and hosted gatherings of the Marlburian community at Chai John.

Jean Burrow

Jean Burrow

(CR 1971-89)

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Jean was an accomplished and influential musician. She sang with and contributed to many significant and special choirs, such as the Bach Choir in London, and left a personal legacy of choral singing particularly in the Marlborough area. She taught Music not just at Marlborough, but also at Notting Hill and Ealing High School and the City of London School for Girls. Many of her pupils went on to have distinguished careers of their own.

Music took Jean all over the world, whether it was touring South Africa, Israel and the USA with the Bach Choir; overseeing music examinations for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in Hong Kong, Malaysia and New Zealand; or taking a personal sabbatical to study

Vivaldi in Venice. She was an adventurous traveller, fully immersing herself in the culture of the places she visited and making deep and lasting connections with the people she met. Jean was an exuberant, unforgettable character with a gift for friendship and communication across generations. She had an extraordinary ability to touch people very profoundly, even in just a short time, and to inspire them to bring the best out of themselves. She will be intensely missed by her family, her huge number of friends, and everyone who met her. A donation site for the Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain has been set up. The charity provides financial assistance and guidance to musicians whose lives have been affected by accident or illness.

Neil Shepherd

(C1 1976-80)

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the sudden passing of the magazine’s great crossword compiler, known to you all as Alberich. Known as an ardent Wagnerite, Neil worked under various pseudonyms. He also used Alberich for the crosswords he set for the Financial Times and Klingsor for his crosswords in The Independent. Instead of a write up, the magazine has decided to put down a selection of the hundreds of comments that were made about him on his passing. ‘I was shocked yesterday to see that Neil Shepherd had passed away. His site, Alberich Crosswords, is one I have always referred people to for advice and for publication in a supportive environment. I sincerely hope someone can be found to continue providing the support, advice and exposure that Neil so unstintingly offered. Meanwhile, do go and look at his site, and check out his puzzles (I just have).’ ‘One of the very best. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, over the last 10 years I corresponded with him whenever either of us had a puzzle published. I learned so much from him about crosswords and Wagner. He was such a lovely bloke and so unassuming.’ ‘What terribly sad news. Neil was greatly encouraging and supportive when I submitted a puzzle for a guest slot on his website last year, very generous with his time and advice.’

‘For budding amateur setters like me, the benefit of his vast experience and wisdom that he shared through his writing on crossword matters on his website is invaluable. Although The Guardian is my daily crossword of choice, I’ve always enjoyed Alberich/Klingsor puzzles when I’ve done them – often quite challenging but always scrupulously fair, clever and fun.’ ‘I never met him in person, but his site is a goldmine of information for solvers and setters that I have found invaluable. That he spent so much time sharing his knowledge, and wrote so much material to be freely available, speaks to his generous spirit.’ ‘I am so very sorry to learn this sad news. Neil provided me with a great deal of encouragement when I submitted a crossword to him for a guest slot on his excellent website and was always generous with his praise when I began to have some published in the dailies. His own puzzles were always a pleasure to solve. Such a kind person.’

Irfan Halim

(LI 1992-94)

The death of Dr Irfan Halim came after a nine-week battle with Covid, which he contracted only two months after he joined the Covid intensive care unit wards at Swindon Hospital. Irfan was a consultant general surgeon who worked across a variety of practices during his 25-year medical career. He specialised in laparoscopic surgery and spent time working on Harley Street. A family friend said Irfan’s death had left ‘an enormous gap in many places and spaces’. ‘Irfan had a kind word for everybody,’ she said. ‘When I picture him now, I see him standing beside his wife and family – a tower of strength. He is the husband, the dad, the best friend. I see him living through his wife and children.’

At the time of writing, a GoFundMe page that had been set up for Irfan’s wife and children was sitting at £171,555. The page reads, ‘We have set up this fund as close friends and family to ease the burden of losing Irfan. Irfan was the sole breadwinner for his family.’ His wife said that her husband gave her ‘15 magical years’ of marriage and four beautiful children. ‘Irfan, you were not only my best friend but a best friend to all our children and so many others,’ she wrote. If you would like to make a gift to the page, please visit GoFundMe and search for Dr Irfan Halim.