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NEWS ARCHIVE
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Stephen A BUCKNALL (Staff 48-83)
on the 14th January 2008 aged 87
Geography Master and Housemaster of New House.
An able clarinetist he proved to be an enthusiast in everything
he touched.
Tribute from Tony Cole (52-60)
Stephen came to Monmouth in 1948 and by
the time I arrived at school in 1952 he was already a
well established figure as a house master in New House
and head of Geography as well as organising the shooting
team. I really got to know him as my interest in geography
increased and I participated in school geography camping
trips to the Peak District, the Southwest of France and
to the Central-Massif and Provence. It was on these occasions
that I became aware of his great interest in everything
around him and his ability to share his knowledge and
pass on his curiosity and enthusiasm. We visited some
of the great houses, churches and cathedrals as well
as learned about incised meanders, the wonders of different
land formations and their geological history, and how
people adapt to their different environments.
While Geography reflected the coalescence of Stephen’s many interests,
he had many passions. He loved architecture and its expression in churches,
cathedrals and houses. He could tell you as much as you wanted to know
about stained glass windows and point out Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque,
and Georgian features of buildings. If music could be brought into the
discussion it was.
In addition to the ‘intellectual’ interest that he imparted
there was also lots of fun in his company including driving flat out
in a Morris Traveller ( the successor to the motor cycle and side car
) around the race track in Clermont-Ferrand, tales of earlier canoeing
trips down the Loire and the Dordogne and a more than adequate introduction
to the local cuisine. All of this was accompanied by a great sense of
humour and a unique Bucknall laugh.
While it always seemed to me that Stephen had a pretty full life while
I was in school, in fact his life really blossomed just after I left.
He and Helen married in December 1960 and Francis, Ruth and Juliet followed
leading some years later to his grandchildren. While he was a bachelor,
I was not so aware of his strong sense of family but as I continued to
meet him after leaving school he would refer to ancestors including Bucknalls
in Australia and a great uncle Sir Ninian Comper, a well known church
architect and designer. He was fascinated by his research on his relatives
and set a target of completing a book about this uncle that was published
a little while before he died which he was very happy to finish. When
we returned to live in UK in 2006 we went to see him and when he saw
our address he said you must go to the Catholic Church down the road
where a Benjamin Bucknall, great great uncle, had been the engineer designer.
With Helen and his children music became an even more important part
of his life and he continued his association with the Merlin Music Society
with which he had had strong connections from its founding in 1963.
Over the years I have probably visited him almost once a year and each
time he would want to know what I had been doing and where I had been
and would sometimes provide me with the name of an interesting book and
he always had a pertinent comment or would refer me to what other OM’s
might be doing. I would also hear about family trips and caravan adventures.
He could always let me know about former staff as he continued to organise
their annual lunches.
I never ceased to be surprised by his energy and interests. We were very
fortunate to visit him the week before he died and he produced his wartime
log of the convoy that took him around Africa to Egypt from where he
went eventually to Turkey. This experience had obviously made a great
impression on him and he was ever grateful to Winston Churchill for arranging
a convoy that evaded the Atlantic U Boats. While frail he was still very
much himself to the end and he was looking forward to a family concert
to be held on what turned out to be the day of his funeral.
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R H S HATTON (Staff 38-62)
on the 5th January 2008 aged 98
Acting Headmaster, Second Master, Housemaster
of School House, mainstay of the School choir and of the
Choral Society.
Hugh Hatton was educated at Cranleigh and
St Catherines College, Cambridge. He was an outstanding
sportsman and whilst at Cambridge, he was awarded his Blue
for hockey. He came to Monmouth in 1948 and took over as
Housemaster in School House. One of his passions was Gilbert & Sullivan
and he immediately introduced the operas into the school
calendar. A popular and respected figure, old boys of his
era continued to visit him after he left school in 1962.
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John Idris DAVIES (35-42)
on the 4 August 2007 aged 81
John, a keen mathematician, represented the school at
rugby before going on to Birmingham University in 1943
to read civil engineering from where he graduated with
first class honours.
John spent his life working in the construction industry,
beginning as an engineer in Nelson, Lancashire before his
work took him all over the world. Over the years, he worked
in India, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Uganda and in Kenya before
retiring to the Isle of Man. John remained active in retirement,
becoming one of the internet’s silver surfers, spending
considerable time gardening and following the fortunes
of Welsh rugby closely.
Throughout his life, John recalled with fond memories
his time at Monmouth Grammar. He is survived by his two
sons and a daughter-in-law.
If any Club members have memories of John they would like
to share with his family, then his son Rhys Davies would
love to hear from you. Please contact the Club Administrator
for more information:
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1950’s ROWING RE-UNION
It initially started as a 50th re-union of the 1956 1st
IV but eventually developed to a gathering of OM’s who
were coached by Phil Mathew and wished to pay him due homage.
We met up in the William Jones room at School at 11.00am for coffee and
then toured the School accompanied by some very help-full prefects. Lunch
was served in the Masters Dining Room and Phil was presented with an inscribed
oar and a rudder that once guided the 1st IV of that time.
After lunch everyone transferred to the School Boat-house and five “volunteers” embarked
on a paddle up the Wye. It was a very impressive performance and when cox “Mousy” Mounsdon
successfully steered the boat alongside the pontoon, the watching school
oarsmen applauded their efforts.
Those present agreed to meet up again at Marlow Regatta in 2009 when the
1959 crew are to be invited by the organising committee to celebrate winning
the School fours.
Those attending were Brian Lewis, Brian Gill, Mike Mounsdon, Chris (CB)
Jones, Bob Coombes (Over from Bangkok), Roger Atkins, Tony Cole, Chris
Ensor, Dave Baikie (Over from Canada), Roger Jenkins & Phil Mathew with
Barbara and Chris.
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