Old Farnhamians' Association
Obituaries & Tributes

Peter Eric Larby

Peter was born in 1927. With his twin sister, Freda, he spent his early years in the family cottage, near the Frensham Ponds Hotel. Later the family moved to Churt and he attended the village school. He successfully passed the entrance examination to the Farnham Grammar School.

At FGS, besides his academic studies, Peter was a fine all round sportsman. On the games field he excelled in soccer, cricket and athletics. In fact he held the 110 yards hurdle record for many years and ran for the Surrey Grammar Schools.

Following his time in the 6th form, he gained a place at St Mark and St John's College in Chelsea. However before he could take up his place he was called up for National Service and had to put his further studies on hold. He spent 3 years in the RAF, two and a half of them in Ceylon, (now Sri Lanka), where amongst other things, he of course, continued his sporting interests. He was selected to represent the RAF in the Far East area.

It was here that he met up with Michael Jacobs, who later was Best Man at Peter and Pearls' wedding, which was held here at St Thomas on the Bourne. Michael remembers Peter as a chap who knew exactly what he wanted, he knew he was going to teach and that Pearl was the person he was going to marry.

After the forces, he took up his place at "Marjons" college, gaining his B.Sc degree and teaching qualifications. He then returned to Surrey and did indeed marry Pearl in 1950.

Peter's first appointment was to Dorking Grammar School in 1951, where he taught Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and, of course Games. This meant moving to live at nearby Brockham. It was here that Robin and Susan were born. However, a few years later, he wanted to move back to Farnham because of his mother's illness.

It was then, at a chance meeting with his 'old' English master, that Harold Beeken suggested that Peter might consider applying for a vacant mathematics position at FGS. Peter did, and he was appointed by George Baxter, to teach Mathematics and help with games. It is interesting to note that Donald Nicholson, also an old boy, was already on the staff of FGS. So in 1956, Peter and family returned to Farnham and moved to St Johns Road, where they lived for the next 37 years.

On a personal note, I will always remember Peter and Pearls' kindness and welcome to Farnham when I joined the staff of the Grammar School in 1964. This was indeed a great help and support for a young master settling in.

In the classroom Peter was a very effective and successful teacher, whether teaching Pythagoras to form two - or Calculus in the 6th form. Outside the classroom, on the games field, he soon became master in charge of the 1st XI soccer team that had much success over the years. He also played cricket for Farnham in the Park for many seasons. At school many enjoyable Thursday evenings were spent playing cricket for the Masters' XI. The opening batting partnership of Larby and Foster was formidable indeed.

When he stopped playing cricket, it was onto golf, bowls and then sketching and painting. However when he wasn't standing in front of a blackboard or on the games field he was never happier than in his garden – potting up, planting, weeding and mowing the lawn. Much time was spent in his beloved greenhouse.

Peter preferred and enjoyed teaching the whole age range from the first to the sixth form. So in 1973, not long after FGS became a 6th Form College, he moved to Eggars Grammar School as head of mathematics. He retired in 1990. Retirement saw him spending even more time in his garden — Peter and Pearl now having moved to Vicarage Hill. When he was not gardening he would often wander off on a walk — sometimes, I understand more than 20 miles. In winter, on a Saturday, he was often to be found with Susan watching the Saints play football at the Dell in Southampton.

Peter was a man of many talents and interests. He led a very full and rewarding life. Kind and generous, he was a quiet gentleman. He will be remembered with genuine affection by us all.

(This is the tribute that was delivered at the
funeral on 2nd October 2008 by Peter’s friend
and fellow staff member Hugh Batchelor)

Posted 24 October, 2008

________________________

Charles W Rees CBE, FRS

One of our most eminent old boys died on 21 September 2006.

Charles W Rees (1939 – 1944) was born in Egypt in 1927 and educated at FGS. After three years as a laboratory technician at the RAE in Farnborough, he went to University College of Southampton (later the University of Southampton) where he graduated in 1950. He took his PhD there with Professor N B Chapman and then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow with Professor A Albert at the Australian National University – then in the Euston Road, London. He was then appointed Assistant Lecturer at Birkbeck College, London in 1955 (moving in at the bottom as Professor Derek Barton moved out at the top to take up the Regius Chair in Glasgow). After two years at Birkbeck, Charles moved to King’s College London where he spent eight years as Lecturer and Reader. He collaborated for several years with Professor D H Hey on various aspects of heterocyclic chemistry. He was appointed to his first Chair at the University of Leicester in 1965, and four years later moved to Liverpool as Professor of Organic Chemistry, and in 1977 he succeeded George Kenner there as Heath Harrison Professor of Organic Chemistry. In 1978 he was appointed Hofmann Professor of Organic Chemistry at Imperial College London (thus following Sir Derek Barton for a second time) and remained there until his retirement in 1993. He still works at Imperial College as Emeritus Professor.

Charles was the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Tilden Lecturer in 1974 and Pedler Lecturer in 1984 and received the (first) RSC Award in Heterocyclic Chemistry in 1980 and the International Award in Heterocyclic Chemistry in 1995. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1974. He was awarded an Honorary DSc by the University of Leicester in 1994, a CBE in the New Years Honours List in 1995, the Fellowship of King’s College London in 1999, and an Honorary DSc by the University of Sunderland in 2000.

Charles served the chemical community in many ways: he was the President of the Royal Society of Chemistry from July 1992 for two years. He served on its Council and many Boards and Committees at various times; he was Chairman of the Publication and Information Board for four years. He was President of the Perkin (Organic) Division of the RSC, and President of the Chemistry Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition, he co-edited three major reference works: Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry I & II, and Comprehensive Organic Functional Group Transformations.

(adapted with permission from a tribute to Prof Rees published in Arkivoc.)

Tributes

Royal Society of Chemistry

Imperial College London

Daily Telegraph

The Times

________________________

Gordon Webberley

Gordon Webberley died on the 27th May 2006 after a year-long illness. He started at FGS in September 1941, as a member of Morley House of which he eventually became House Captain. Gordon took his General School Certificate in 1946 (with distinctions in English and Mathematics) and his Higher School Certificate in 1948 (Physics, Chemistry, Applied & Pure Mathematics) which was the same year he became School Captain. During his time at school he participated in swimming, athletics, boxing and rifle shooting and was the first holder of the Waverley Cup for .303 rifle shooting. A member of the school choir and orchestra, he also became Vice-Chairman of the Debating Society and the Vice-Editor of the school magazine. He won various reading prizes and the George Sturt Prize.

He was a keen member of the Combined Cadet Force and became a Lance Corporal, then Sergeant and finally CSM. He fully entered into practically all aspects of life at Farnham Grammar School.

He was an active member of the 3rd Farnham Scouts, going on camps most years, including the Jamboree in Sweden in 1947. With other FGS boys he took part in many Gang Shows.

Gordon joined the Royal Artillery for his National Service where he was selected for Mons OCTU and passed out as a Second Lieutenant. He saw service in Germany as well as the UK. With a family background of military service it was hardly surprising that he had an interest in military history, particularly WW1 & WW2.

On completion of 2 years National Service he took and passed the H.M. Customs and Excise Officer Grade exam in May 1951. His work took him to various parts of the UK, including Birmingham, London, Southampton and Glasgow, attaining the position of Principal. His final position was Controller of Office Services at New Kings Beam and Dorset Houses retiring in 1990.

Throughout his working life, Gordon was an enthusiastic and talented potter having started at Farnham School of Art in 1961. He exhibited regularly at Farnham Art Society and was a committee member until 1984, in the last 7 years serving as Vice-Chairman. At this time his work took him Scotland. On returning to England in 1987 he settled in Bromley but still managed to get to Farnham most Friday evenings for pottery at WSCAD and more recently at West Street Potters in Wrecclesham, while he still continued to exhibit with FAS. In addition to ceramics, he also exhibited paintings and etchings until 2005. Other interests included a great love of Bonsai trees, which he had been growing for over 35 years, an enjoyment of good food and wine, plus Egyptology, taking a Diploma in Egyptology at London University.

Brian Webberley
25 July, 2006

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Squadron Leader Alan Fordham

Alan Fordham died on 12^th October, 2005 aged 80 years. He came to FGS in 1962, initially to teach French and command the CCF with the rank of Major. Later, he was appointed Dean of the Sixth Form. When FGS gave way to Farnham College in 1973, Alan stayed until he retired in 1984. Here is a report of his career compiled by Cyril Trust:

Alan was born on 24th March 1925. He joined the RAF from the Oxford University Air Squadron in 1943. He trained in Canada, flew in Australia and the Pacific, and was a member of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan. After the war he returned to Christ Church, Oxford to complete his MA Degree in Medieval and Modern Languages, and he was granted a permanent commission in the RAF in 1951. Following a variety of flying, command, and staff appointments, he retired from the RAF with the rank of Squadron Leader and joined the Farnham Grammar School.

Here he taught Modern Languages, commanded the Combined Cadet Force, and in 1968 became Dean of the Sixth Form. He became the first of the senior tutors appointed to this position when Farnham College was established in 1973. Despite increasing administrative duties, he continued to teach Spanish, English, Mathematics, Astronomy, and Meteorology. He was also a member of the Associating Examining Standing Advisory Committee on Navigation subjects.

Posted, 02 November, 2005

There are also reminiscences of Alan Fordham published on the Members’ News page of the
Web-Members' Section.

GEORGE BAXTER MBE

Click here
to go to the special page celebrating the life of George Baxter.

SQUADRON LEADER SIDNEY WILTSHIRE, GC

Sidney Wiltshire (1921 to 1926) was one of the school’s most distinguished old boys, though there can be few of his contemporaries still alive to recall him. The Daily Telegraph has given permission for our website to reproduce the following obituary that was printed on 30th September, 2003:

Squadron Leader Sidney Wiltshire, who died yesterday aged 93, won the Empire Gallantry Medal, later exchanged for the George Cross, for rescuing his flying instructor from a burning plane.

On October 21 1929 Pilot Officer Wiltshire was flying an aircraft under instruction with the No 2 Flying Training School in Lincolnshire. The plane crashed on landing at Temple Bruer landing ground, near Sleaford, and immediately caught fire.

After extricating himself from the machine, Wiltshire found that his instructor, Flying Officer H E Power, was trapped by his foot in the wreckage.

Although under no illusions about the risk he ran, Wiltshire went back into the flames to drag his companion clear, but was badly burnt on his face and neck.

Both officers were flown to Cranwell Hospital; the aeroplane was completely burnt out.

The citation declared: “Power would undoubtedly have lost his life but for the prompt and courageous action taken by his pupil.” Wiltshire was invested with the Empire Gallantry Medal by King George V at Buckingham Palace on March 4 1930.

Fourteen years later, he was re-invested with the George Cross by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Cyril Newall, at Government House, Wellington.

One of eight children born to the founder of a company which supplied bicycles, and later repaired motors, at Farnham, Surrey, Sidney Noel Wiltshire was born on December 12 1909. He was educated at Farnham Grammar School, where he boxed and played cricket.

Then, at the age of 20, he followed the example of his two elder brothers and joined the Royal Air Force on a short service commission. Four months later Pilot Officer Wiltshire won the Empire Gallantry Medal. In December 1930 Wiltshire was promoted Flying Officer and served with No 4, Army Co-Operation Squadron at Farnborough. On completion of his service, he transferred to the RAF Reserve of Officers.

It was difficult to obtain employment in England as a commercial pilot, so Wiltshire followed his brother Bill to the South Pacific to work for a short period for a gold-prospecting company on the construction of a jungle airfield in Papua. When this project was abandoned, he joined North Queensland Airways as a pilot before moving to Guinea Airways, which used New Guinea landing strips cleared by the natives.

In September 1938, Wiltshire went to New Zealand where he joined Union Airways (later New Zealand National Airways Corporation and now Air New Zealand). He was working for Cook Strait Airways, based at Nelson, when war was declared, and like other pilots in the reserves, found himself posted to the regular list.

He was appointed to a temporary commission in the Royal New Zealand Air Force with the rank of Flight Lieutenant, and posted to the Air Observers’ School at Ohakeal; his brother Bill joined the RAAF while brother Norman, who remained at home, was in the RAF.

In January 1941, Wiltshire was posted to No 2 Squadron, based at Nelson. He then moved to Wigram as Officer Commanding Signals Flight and the following year he was promoted to Squadron Leader.

He attended a course of the Royal Australian School of Army Co-operation in Canberra, returning to take up an appointment as Commanding Officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Milson, near Palmerston North. In May 1943, Wiltshire attended a 16-week course at the Army Staff College, Palmerston North, before being appointed Commanding Officer of Seagrove Station on the Manukau Harbour, where No 25 Squadron was being formed.

In September, he moved to Delta Station, near Blenheim, as Officer Commanding Elementary Ground Training School. In January 1944, he was posted to Wellington, where he was stationed at Rongotai.

Wiltshire was now aged 34, and had logged some 5,300 flying hours. Realising that there was little prospect of employment matching his experience, he approached the RAF, and was offered duties with Transport Command, provided that he reverted to his reserve rank of Flying Officer and left New Zealand.

He served with the RAF until December 1945, when he returned to New Zealand and rejoined Union Airways. In 1952, on finishing flying duties, he became the passenger services manager for National Airways Corporation for about 18 months. Wiltshire first worked in the antiques business, then was employed by Hutchinson Motors in Christchurch for some years before retiring in December 1978 to Waikanae, outside Wellington, where he built a house called Touchdown.

In 1960 and 1972, he attended the reunions of the Victoria and George Cross association, on the first occasion as the sole living holder of the GC in New Zealand.

A tall, good-looking man with a quiet sense of humour, he spent the last years of his life in Hunterville, on the North Island, where he enjoyed playing golf and was looked after by his wife’s niece.

Wiltshire married, in 1940, Mrs Gretchen Guy (nee von Dadelszen), who predeceased him.

Posted 12 October, 2003

DR J. DUDLEY BACKHURST

8 February, 2003

Dudley Backhurst (1943 – 1951), who died 27th January 2003, was born on 2nd December, 1932, in West Street in Farnham. He moved from there to Keep Cottage at Farnham Castle, then in 1937 to 10, Guildford Road. In 1939, he started at East Street School, then in 1943 gained a scholarship to Farnham Grammar School. He was successful academically, on the sports field and in the swimming pool. In his final year, he was School Captain. He gained a Surrey Major Scholarship and took a BSc in Special Chemistry at University College, London. He gained a PhD in Physical Organic Chemistry then spent two years at Kings College, Newcastle, doing radiation chemistry as a research associate from Harwell. In 1959 he went to Southampton to work in the new laboratories of BAT where he stayed till 1983, when he became a secretary to the Tobacco Advisory Council. He remained there till he retired in 1989. While at BAT he was active with the sports and social club and became vice-chairman. He was founder member of the badminton and squash sections. He also played tennis up until October last year.

In 1958 he married Sylvia. This was a very happy marriage of 44 years, and they never threw anything at one another! They had two children, - Merilyn and Graham, who now live in Sydney and Nursling respectively. The arrival of John and Merilyn from Sydney recently with baby grand-daughter Laura, brought great happiness to Dudley.

Since retirement, Dudley has spent many happy hours with the Hampshire Woodcarvers. He was president of the Old Farnhamians’ Association for three years and organised the Southampton lunch for more than 30 years. He was trustee of the Farnhamian 400 Trust for nearly ten years. For nearly ten years he was chairman of the BAT Retirement Fellowship which organised the social side of events for BAT retired employees in Southampton.

Dudley was committed, thorough and meticulous in his approach. He was a man of integrity and a source of great dependence to his friends and family. His cheerful character and admirable demeanour made his company a delight. His opinion was always valued for its logic and impartiality and would always be formed without a selfish thought. Dudley commanded respect for his knowledge, generosity, dedication and precision, characteristics to which he attached far more importance than materialism or pretence.

Towards the end of his life, Dudley was comfortable and content - he died with Sylvia at his side - Sylvia, who cared for him with such devotion during his illness. Dudley will be sadly missed by friends and family - he was a much-loved father, husband and grandfather.

Tribute delivered by Rev Sally Kerson at Dudley’s funeral on 6^th February, 2003 in Southampton.

DR ROGER DOWNHAM BSc PhD MICE

20 December, 2001

Roger Downham (1955 - 1962) died earlier this year from complications that developed following a road accident.

Roger was born and raised in Farnham and lived his childhood in Roman Way. He had his primary education at East Street School and went to FGS in 1955. Roger was a relaxed, jovial and extremely bright pupil with a keen sense of humour and good all-round ability. He played in goal for the school football team, kept wicket in the cricket and won the swimming cup three times.

His career was marked by professional success. He left school to study Civil Engineering at Leeds University and gained his BSc in 1966. At the end of the course, his professor, who was to move to Aston University, invited Roger to continue his studies at Aston. It was here that he obtained his PhD.

After his studies, Roger joined IDC Construction, rising to be Managing Director and a director of the main board. He had responsibility for many major projects, including the construction in 1980 of the prestigious Cambridge University Press ‘Edinburgh Building’. He met the Duke of Edinburgh during the opening of these premises.

After a spell of three years working for IDC in Belgium and two years with Sainsburys as Construction Manager, Roger worked for the Midland Bank in a similar role. During this period he was the Treasurer of the British Council of Offices and an external examiner for Coventry and Oxford Brookes Universities. He retired in 1998, continuing to live at his home in Stratford-upon-Avon, and fulfilled a life-long ambition of buying a large motorcycle. Tragically, this was the indirect cause of his premature death on 8th September.

Roger leaves his partner, Sue Main, and 14 year-old son Alexander.

GEOFF CRAWTE

7th September, 2001

Geoff Crawte died on 6^th February 2001 after a short illness, aged 56. Geoff was born in Farnham and lived his childhood at the family home in Alfred Road, very close to the school. He went to West Street Boys' School for his primary education and then to FGS from 1955 to 1961. Geoff was in the school choir, sang in the choir of St Thomas on the Bourne and was an excellent swimmer, winning the Senior Swimming Cup.

From school, he joined the National Westminster Bank and two years later moved to the Electricity Board, where he worked for the rest of his career, rising to be a Quality Analyst in Portsmouth.

When Geoff was taken ill in 1994, he was told that his condition was serious and required an operation. He underwent major surgery and a long period of recuperation. Following this experience, Geoff retired to Honiton in Devon and resolved he would try to help others facing similar challenges, particularly young people. He devoted much of his time during the following 6 years to this task and was a great source of strength and reassurance to many people facing major surgery.

Geoff's work has recently been recognised by the East Devon Special Needs Action Group, where Geoff worked with many youngsters. The Geoff Crawte Friendship Award has been established to recognise the contribution of those who carry out similar work helping others.

Geoff married Carol in 1965 and they had two sons and a daughter.

JACK GWILLIM

29th August, 2001

JACK GWILLIM, who has died aged 91, was a character actor who appeared in the West End and on Broadway in a career which spanned half a century on stage and screen. Tall and slim, and with a powerful voice, Gwillim excelled at portraying figures of authority. On screen, he played various types of potentate - majestic, military, civic and clerical - with roles ranging from Poseidon in Clash of the Titans (1981) to George VI in Sink the Bismarck! (1960). He was also a respected exponent of the classics on stage, especially during the last decade of the Old Vic Company. The son of a regimental sergeant-major, Jack Gwillim was born at Canterbury on December 15 1909. Educated at Farnham Grammar School, he joined the Royal Navy at 17 and was posted to the training ship Iron Duke. As an all-round track and field athlete, Gwillim played rugby for the Navy and, while stationed in the Mediterranean, became undefeated heavyweight boxing champion of both the Army and Navy.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Gwillim was a serving officer in Hong Kong and China. In 1946 he was invalided out of the Navy as a commander, having been the youngest of that rank at the time of his promotion.

After testing for a wireless announcer's job, a BBC producer who recalled his amateur acting in the Navy suggested he became a professional actor. Gwillim took his advice and spent two years at the Central School of Speech and Drama. This was followed by three seasons, from 1950, with Anthony Quayle's Stratford Memorial Theatre Company.

Apart from various minor roles, Gwillim played Macduff to Ralph Richardson's Macbeth as directed by Gielgud. He then toured with the company to Australia, before returning to the West End in Peter Brook's production of Fry's The Dark Is Light Enough (Aldwych, 1954).

In 1955 Gwillim joined the Old Vic Company when it was led by Paul Rogers, John Neville and Richard Burton. His roles included Casca in Julius Caesar, Banquo in Macbeth, Kent in King Lear, the Duke of Exeter in Henry V, Brabantio in Othello, Hector in Troilus and Cressida, Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet, Claudius in Hamlet, and the Duke of Buckingham in Henry VIII - which completed Michael Benthall's five-year plan to stage all Shakespeare's plays.

The critic Kenneth Tynan praised Gwillim's portrayal of Claudius as "an iron-headed general at the awkward age - slightly ashamed of having fallen in love - an original conception, of which Coral Browne's maternally voluptuous queen makes splendid sense". Tynan described both John Neville, who played Hamlet, and Gwillim as being like Donne's "grim eight-foot-high iron-bound serving man" and "robber barons of childhood nightmares come dragonishly to life."

Back in the West End, Gwillim appeared in The Right Honourable Gentleman (Her Majesty's, 1964); Shaw's You Never Can Tell, with Ralph Richardson as William the Waiter (Haymarket, 1966); Maugham's The Sacred Flame (Duke of York's); and as Antonio in The Merchant of Venice (Haymarket, both 1967) with Richardson in the role of Shylock.

Among Gwillim's American stage appearances were in A Man For All Seasons (1965-66); Maugham's The Constant Wife (1975); as Col. Pickering in Rex Harrison's revival of My Fair Lady (1981); O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh and in Rattigan's Cause Celebre. His last Broadway performance was in 1988, as Duncan opposite Christopher Plummer and Glenda Jackson in Macbeth.

Among Gwillim's screen credits were as Brigadier Ames in North West Frontier (1959); King Aeetes in Jason and the Argonauts (1963); Air Commodore Watling in the television series A for Andromeda (1961); and General Sir Harold Alexander in Patton (1969). Gwillim's final stage appearance was in On Borrowed Time in which two of his children, his son-in-law, two grandchildren and their dog appeared.

Of more than 50 film and television credits, among Gwillim's most recent were Discoverers (1993); Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story (1991); The Monster Squad (1987); and Anthony and Cleopatra (1983). He made guest appearances in Remington Steele (1982), Gabriel's Fire (1990), and Conan (1998). Gwillim gave his final performance, aged 90, as Jonah in Blue Shark Hash (2000).

Jack Gwillim married firstly, in 1943, Peggy Bollard. She died in 1958. They had a son and a daughter. He married secondly, in 1969, Olivia Selby, who survives him. They had a son.

Reprinted, with permission, from the Daily Telegraph, 29^th August, 2001

PAUL FRENCH

Saturday, 23 June, 2001

One of the unsung influential figures in the recent history of Farnham died peacefully on June 5.

Paul Wilfred French (70) was the first principal of Farnham College. He was appointed to Farnham Grammar School, as its last headmaster in April 1971, with the task of merging it with Farnham Girls Grammar School and creating an Open Access Sixth Form College. The first one in Surrey. The mood in Farnham for the new venture was tinged with scepticism rather than enthusiasm.

Paul French arrived with an impressive track record. A Cambridge mathematician with a later acquired Masters degree in Computing Studies, he had taught previously at Maidstone Grammar School, Dulwich College and the Cavendish School, Hemel Hempstead. As a Surrey man he was almost coming home.

He was brought up in Haslemere and attended Godalming Grammar School where he met his future wife, Dorothy. His intense dedication to the task facing him ensured that the Grammar School pupils did not lose out as they worked their way through the college, and equally that the girls and staff of Farnham Girls Grammar School were placated for the move from a modern building to a much older one and its attendant huts.

Superimposed on the endeavours was the creation of an open access Sixth Form College - a totally new concept in much of the country and certainly in Surrey.

With a great deal of hard work and determination Paul French oversaw successfully the creation of the new institution. Farnham College became the Mecca for visitors from other developing Sixth Form Colleges both in Surrey and elsewhere. The blueprint was widely copied.

His computing skills ensured that the college enjoyed a computerised administrative system that was in the forefront of what was possible in the 1970s.

Above all Paul French was a man of educational vision. He saw clearly the excitement of the challenge of the new Sixth Form.

He understood the importance of inner motivation of the student. Whilst in no way under-estimating the importance of examination success and paper qualifications he realised that education was much more than these.

He was concerned about unexaminable factors - maturity of judgement, sense of humour, self control, a sense of values, purpose and integrity. With these in mind he felt the tutor-student relationship to be of great significance.

His door was always open to staff and students. He was at his most relaxed in philosophical discussion, which he enjoyed greatly.

He was determined not to be solely an administrator and taught mathematics and general studies throughout his time at the college. He always encouraged people to think about what they were doing.

In the 1980 he set up termly meetings with staff and governors to discuss various aspects of the college's life and philosophy.

By the late 1980s it was clear that under the local management of schools, the compulsory devolution of most financial management away from LEA to staff and governing bodies did not appeal to Paul French and he chose to retire - a little early - at Easter 1990.

He left behind a flourishing college which had laid to rest the fears of the early 1970s about the benefits of re-organisation.

His successors were able to build on the firm foundations which they had inherited.

In his retirement Paul French, essentially a private man, continued to make music, play tennis and to teach mathematics - his real love. In recent years he was dogged by ill health.

He leaves his wife Dorothy, his four children, Sally, Rachel, Helen and James, and 12 grandchildren.

A thanksgiving service will be held on Sunday 24 June at 3pm in St Andrew's Parish Church.

(taken from the Farnham Herald, Friday, 22 June, 2001)

Personal Tribute to Paul French by Ian Sargeant

I didn't really know Paul during his professional life, but I came to know him quite well when we returned to live in Farnham in 1992. He was our church organist at Farnham Methodist Church, a position I had held in the 1960s before leaving to work abroad. We became good friends and started playing tennis every Wednesday. He played with great application and the victories were evenly shared between us over the years we played. It was our joke that we were the most exclusive tennis club in the world - The Old Farnhamian Methodist Organists' Tennis Club.

Paul was a slightly reserved and very thoughtful man, with great compassion. It was self-evident that he was very clever, but I know from our conversations that he also had a great capacity to explain complex ideas with simple clarity - the stamp of a born teacher. He had a good sense of humour and was generous by nature.

Paul will be greatly missed by members of the OFA, people in Farnham Methodist Church and also very much by the sole surviving member of our tennis club.

Ian Sargeant

NORMAN PATRICK

27 April, 2001

Norman Patrick, who died on 20 April 2001 in Frimley Park Hospital, was an old boy of the school who distinguished himself in sport. He was born in 1914 in East Street, Farnham and attended FGS for 10 years, leaving in 1931. He was an outstanding sportsman at school, playing in the first XI for both cricket and football, being the front-runner for the school cross-country team and a keen boxer. After leaving school, he turned to tennis, winning the Farnham championship seven times. He married his mixed doubles partner, Joan Horne, in 1937.

Norman was called up at the beginning of the second world war and joined the 5^th Northumberland Fusiliers as a second lieutenant. He continued his sporting activities and, on one occasion, faced Jack Petersen, British and Empire Heavyweight Champion in the boxing ring. He played tennis at Wimbledon, once playing on the Centre Court. During this time, he became a great friend of the Arsenal captain Joe Mercer, which started his long association and passion for the Highbury club.

After the war, Norman returned to Farnham to resume work in the family business. Always a keen horse rider, he became a member of the local pony club and took over as the Area Controller after some years. Many people will also remember him as the percussionist in the Farnham Amateur Operatic Society's orchestra during many years.

Norman leaves his widow Joan, two sons and a daughter plus nine grandchildren.

Based on an article in the Farnham Herald

LESLIE LORD

January, 2001

Leslie Lord, who left the School in 1925, passed away in January 2001 at the age of 92, having lived in Farnham for all of his life. Leslie was born in 1903 and claimed the distinction of being the only person born in the council offices in South Street. His father was appointed the first care-taker of the newly-built Farnham Urban District Council offices, into which the council moved from its rented boardroom in the Corn Exchange in 1902, and the family occupied the flat over the adjoining fire station.

He first went to school at St.Polycarp's in Bear Lane and then moved on to the Grammar School at the age of eleven. He enjoyed a variety of sports at the School and played for the First XI at Football and was the captain of the Second XI Cricket team. He also boxed very successfully for Childe House. He took an active part in the cadet Force and by the time he left the School he was a sergeant.

He first worked for Swain & Jones for a short time and then moved to Mardon & Ball and then to Tarrants, who were both local building companies. During the second World War he was sent to East Africa to form batteries of African troops, then he took a commission and moved to India. The end of the war prevented him moving on to Burma. Les returned to Tarrants, now taken over by Parkinson's, and worked there until he was 65 years of age.

Les never married, but took part in many local activities. He played cricket for the Nelson Arms and in younger days played snooker at the Farnham Institute. He was a long-time member of the Conservative Club and was twice elected captain of Farnham Brightwells Bowling Club.

In his obituary in the 'Farnham Herald' it stated that Leslie Lord had a great sense of fun, and will be remembered for his kindness, courtesy and good humour and his talent for friendship.

REDVERS GODSLAND

For many years DUDLEY BACKHURST regularly visited the Isle of Wight to see our oldest living Old Boy, REDVERS GODSLAND (1908-16) and it is appropriate that he should write his obituary now that Redvers has passed away in the latter part of the year 2000.

Redvers Godsland was born in Middlesex in October 1901, but lived with an aunt in Aldershot. He started at Farnham Grammar school in 1908 and as his birthday was in October he was probably not quite seven years old. As one of the youngest boys in the school he was one of 'Miss Williams Little Darlings'. The school in Morley Road had not long been opened and he travelled by train each day from Aldershot. He had a cousin at the school who also attended when it was still situated in West Street.

Later on in his school life he became a boarder and even stayed at the school by himself during the half-term holidays. He was be-friended by Dr. Brown and his family and at Southampton Dinners Redvers and RAYMOND BROWN (1909-18) would recall those days together. His father, a regular soldier, was killed during the First World War and the news to him by the Rev. Samuel Priestley, By the age of about thirteen both parents had died and the school took on the role of surrogate parent. It is probably because of this that he developed such a love for the school. One of his happiest memories was the time he joined the school Cadet Force. He left school in 1916 when he was fourteen years old to work on the Bramshill estate. Later he joined the army and during the Second World War spent much of his time in India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

He married in 1932 and he and his wife ran a newsagents at East Cowes until they retired in 1967. The residents of Osborne House were valued customers. It was whilst he was living in East Cowes that I first met him , at the inaugural Southampton Dinner in 1962 and he continued to attend until 1973. We then lost contact until 1992 when I visited him and his wife at their home in Northwood just outside West Cowes. They were enjoying a long and happy retirement and had taken up bowls. Redvers had always been keen on cricket and became president of the East Cowes Cricket Club.

I persuaded him to attend the Southampton Lunch in 1993 and 1994 and he enjoyed the occasions immensely. He had a great love of the school and with the passage of a great many years viewed everything with good humour. He maintained his impish ways and would sometimes telephone me to relate something new he had recalled. I visited Redvers a few days before he died when he was fast approaching his 99th birthday. We all hoped he would reach his century- but it was not to be . He had enjoyed a long and eventful life . With his death the Association has lost its last link with the early days of the school at Morley Road. It has also lost a chivalrous, gentle man. Our sympathies go to his widow , Clarissa, who still lives on the Isle of Wight, and to his son and daughter.

GROUP CAPTAIN CEDRIC MASTERMAN OBE DFC

17th May, 2000

The death of this Old Boy was reported in the 'Daily Telegraph' on 17th May 2000 and it told the story of an extremely brave man. He played a part in the ill-fated Norwegian Campaign of 1940 when he was sent to Norway to locate sites for makeshift airfields and whilst there came under heavy attack from the Luftwaffe. He stated that' The machine-gunning was wicked, and amid bomb blasts and the stream of bullets I prayed as I have never prayed before.' He was finally evacuated by sea and awarded the OBE. Cedric joined the RAF in 1935 flying as a Hawker Audax biplane pilot and was soon posted to the West Frontier of India where he flew on counter-insurgency operations to frustrate the troublesome Waziri tribesmen. He returned home in 1939 and then flew Lysanders, and whilst with 225 Squadron had his 'Norwegian Adventure'.

Afterwards he re-joined his squadron, then moved on to flying Hurricanes and in October 1941 took command of No.72 Squadron flying Spitfires in the celebrated Biggin Hill Wing. He lead his fighters over France with great success and in 1942 became Biggin Hill's Wing Commander before moving to Malta, where he doubled as No 2 on the fighter staff and ADC to Lord Gort VC, the island's Governor. With the situation worsening he returned to flying and in two weeks his squadron shot down 16 enemy aircraft, he increased his own total to 6 and led his men shooting up aircraft on the ground , damaging enemy shipping, attacking trains, petrol dumps and road columns. For this bravery he received his immediate DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross).

Having rested for much of 1943 as Wing Commander Training in Kenya he resumed operations in the Mediterranean with No 203 ground reconnaissance and light bomber squadron before moving to India for coastal patrols and convoy escort duties. Here he came to the attention of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten and served on his staff in Delhi and Burma.

Cedric returned home in May 1945 and after a spell at Transport Command he went to Commonwealth Air Forces HQ at Iwakuni, Japan. Later he served on the Intelligence staff during the Malayan emergency. His final posting in 1955 was as Air Attache in Prague. In 1958 he returned to civilian life and worked in the City of London until retiring in 1974. He married his wife Cynthia in 1940 and they had one son.

Cedric Audley Masterman was born on September 25th 1914 and he boarded at the Grammar School from 1925 until 1928 and was a member of School House. Results show that he was a good athlete and in 1928 he was Class 5 Boxing Champion and a member of the successful School House Rifle Shooting Team. He went to University College School in London and in 1932 joined Godsell & Co. a firm of foreign exchange brokers in the City before joining the RAF. He is remembered by Sylvia Morgan, who referred us to this obituary of an exceptional Old Boy.

MIKE FOSTER

Mike Foster, who was an English master at Farnham Grammar School for over thirty years, died in February 2000. Coming to the school in 1949 he was one of the last teachers to join that excellent staff assembled by F.A. Morgan. He eventually succeeded the legendary Harold Beeken as Head of English for the Grammar School and remained at Morley Road when the changeover to a Sixth Form College began in 1973. Mike finally retired in 1982.

Mike (or 'Mac' as he was often known to his pupils) was born at Kirton in Lincolnshire and was educated at the village school, followed by Boston Grammar School and finally St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. Before starting his career, he entered the Royal Air Force and, after training on Magister Trainers, Tiger Moths and Oxfords, converted to Wellington and Halifax bombers. He began his operational experience in July 1943 piloting four attacks on Hamburg, and went on a 'tour' of 33 operations for which he was awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross).

During his early years at the Grammar School he began the modern school library and, with limited funds, he visited Foyles in London to purchase the first books. He introduced play reading at the school and this became a regular gathering. To improve these readings he asked Dorothy Inman, Headmistress of Farnham Girls Grammar School, if she would allow some of her pupils to take part - this request was refused!

Mike successfully combined with Alan Fluck to present music and poetry evenings and also produced 'The Browning Version' at the Church House in Farnham, with most of the furniture for the set coming from the Foster household. In 1960, he combined with Alan Fluck to write and produce 'The Coolibah Tree', with the lead taken by a renowned pupil, Terry Hughes, who later produced 'The Two Ronnies' for BBC and 'The Golden Girls' for American audiences. For many years Mike edited 'The Farnhamian' magazine at the school.

During retirement Mike took a correspondence course in journalism and began to write many articles, including holiday experiences that he and his wife Ann shared as they travelled the world in their camper van. He became interested in 'benchends' and 'misericords', in fact in any wood carvings in churches and cathedrals, and had several articles published in magazines. For a time he was 'Jim Clifford' who added humorous comment to the Frank Scribe page in the local 'Surrey and Hants News', and he had humorous short verses included in 'The Sunday Times' for several years.

Over the years Mike Foster played both football and cricket locally, the latter for Farnham C.C. and several other local teams. He lived with Ann for over forty seven years close to Morley Road and they had four children, with one boy attending the Grammar School. Mike suffered a stroke in recent years but still had a daily walk and was always in good spirits.

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To download a file of Obituaries printed in The Farnhamian 2002 Edition, click here

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