Concordia 2025

Kieran Clifford (1987–1989) who captained the First XV writes:

room, which was opposite the dining-hall entry, where staff used to gather before lunch. The next thing I know is the door opened, John came out, all 6ft-however-many-inches of him standing upright. He surveyed the queue, put two fingers in his mouth and gave a loud whistle. The queue stopped, looked at him and went quiet. He turned round, went back into the Rec room. Job done. After retiring from MTS John returned as an invigilator for many years. Lesley Slator, Examinations Officer, paid the following tribute: In his usual considerate way, JNP’s warm humour helped to keep the ‘Walking Dead’ team going; invigilation is hardly exciting after all! He was perfect for the job, warm and cheery to nervous older students queuing up for a dreaded but important paper, with his rugby fame never questioned by younger boys! Cliché it may be, but he always went the extra mile and went home last at the end of the day. An imposing figure with a soft side For many boys, their first meeting with John was an intimidating experience, given his height and stature. He had rapidly acquired the nickname of ‘Tonka’ , reflecting the sturdy and indestructible toys that boys of the era grew up with. But OMTs came to see that John was a caring and kind mentor. David Locke (1970–1976) writes: I remember John spending what must have been half an hour trying to persuade me to jump off the high diving board into the old outdoor swimming pool. I was terrified of heights and still am, but he had the patience to get me to do it and not to make me feel like a complete flaming idiot, for which I’m ever so grateful.

Concordia Winter 2024

In 1989 we went on tour to Barcelona, led by JNP. One day we visited a coastal town and a magnificent restaurant owned by a chap who had played for France. He and JNP had played against each other. The restaurant was marvellous, the setting beautiful, but what was great was that two warriors on the field could have a long chat over a glass of wine many years later. I joined John to coach the Senior Squad in the late 1980s and, of course, the level of rugby was intense. But in January we used to work together with the Upper Thirds. Here I saw the other side of John: not only was he incredibly skilful and light on his feet, but he absolutely loved working with the junior boys of all talents, having fun and bringing out the joy of the game. I should add that that sense of fun once resulted in my ending up in the mud being bundled by the entire year group, popping a rib cartilage and missing out on the London Marathon. But it was worth it for the laughter and joy of these sessions. The future John has been married to Margaret for 56 years and has two children, Simon and Rachel, and five grandchildren. He is looking forward to a family reunion, particularly as Simon lives in Australia. He continues to keep in shape by swimming and playing badminton. He also continues to watch rugby, though he feels the modern game and the England side are not as good as they could be. Anyone who knows John will vouch for the incredible loyalty he has to his friends and colleagues: he attends reunions from his playing days and is a regular at the Merchant Taylors’ year group reunions, taking great pleasure in reuniting with rugby players and having a team photo. Once he is your friend, he is a friend for life. Happy birthday, John, and many happy returns.

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Jonny Taylor