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Concordia Winter 2022 Obituaries

Iain Hardcastle (1943-1947) died on 1st September 2022 aged 91

T he passing of Iain Hardcastle (MTS 1943-1947) severs another link with the 'golden days' of 1950s and 60s Durrants, of Stephenson's Rockets and Ascot's Fourth, of brother Ditch and Dick Lewis' Smoking Concerts, to say nothing of Peter Ashford, John Cherry, Nick Foley and Tony Wright, each of whom has given me priceless help. I am privileged to be able to review Iain's life with the aid of those few remaining from his Durrants' Days, together with Iain's many friends from the Pembrokeshire years, and, Elizabeth and the family. I am certain that there will be other more eloquent and entertaining recollections subsequent to this obituary: Nick Foley's Thames Tour anecdote, Tony Wright's reflections and John Cherry's reminiscences (available to read on the website) will be followed by many more. This is a story of a quite extraordinary life whose origins lie deep in the 18th Century. Iain's Great Grandfather, Edward Proux, born in 1780, was a member of the Royal Household based at Osborne, Isle of Wight; his grandfather, Richard Hardcastle, born in 1883, was in the Royal Artillery based in India at the time of the Mutiny (1857-1859), his father Beevor de Vic Hardcastle, born in 1882 met Iain's mother, Morna, while he was recovering from 1st World War wounds in the Hendon Hall Hotel. Beevor became a successful accountant in the City and founder member of Moor Park Golf Club, living at Arreton, 35 Kewferry Road, Northwood, where, on 4th November 1930 Iain was

born, a younger brother to Vic, Berry and Ditch. Northwood Prep (Terry's) duly followed in 1937. Then, with mother Morna particularly nervous about war damage and destruction south of the Thames, rather than follow his elder brother to Tonbridge, Iain joined Ditch (Richard Geoffrey MTS (1941-1944) at MTS and the Manor (Morna was determined that he should board!) in 1943. There followed four years of sporting enjoyment and a sound education without academic pretension, before taking up an apprenticeship with the catering Company John Lyon & Co at their Cumberland Hotel, Hyde Park Corner. John Lyon & Co operated a vast number (some 700) of related catering businesses. It was owned by the Salmon and Gluckstein families, some of whom had been Beevor's colleagues in the 1st World War trenches, hence Iain's first step into a world which was to absorb him for the rest of his life. National Service in the Royal Navy came next. This was largely spent in a submarine base in Portsmouth but also included a trip to Japan on aircraft carrier HMS Ocean. Iain remained in the Naval Reserve until 1979, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander and receiving the Volunteer Reserve Decoration. In 1950, Iain returned to John Lyon, where he worked for the next 18 years – at the Cumberland, where he entertained Royalty at the time of the Coronation; as manager of the Regent Palace Piccadilly and later, via Town & County Catering managing

Wimbledon catering and Buckingham Palace Garden parties – maintaining a long-standing family tradition started by Great Grandfather Edward Proux! These were Iain's Durrants' years; a time when his catering and management skills aligned to brother Ditch's musical accomplishment made for extraordinary entertainment – with a famous swansong in 1983. It was an era of OMT sport like no other, when extra B XVs and Stephenson's Rockets flourished, there were cricket XIs unlimited, and both the West Country Rugby and Thames Tour Cricket were in their heyday. Incidentally, this was also a time when MTS parents were advised that their sons should on no account ever visit Durrants, a den of every kind of iniquity! They were great years for the Hardcastles! During much of the time, Iain was living a bachelor existence anywhere from Hyde Park Mansions to a houseboat near Durrants, Chelsea Park Gardens and Glebe Place where he was joined in a quasi-Bohemian quarter by Ricardo, a Spanish artist, one of Iain's many friends from Ibiza – reputedly the brother of the Bishop of Ibiza's mistress!! Iain would probably say that this relaxed lifestyle was about to change and not simply because a 'knee' brought a premature end to his rugby career; Elizabeth might disagree! In 1968, having recently moved from John Lyon to become Southwest Regional Manager of Sutcliffe Catering (Iain was later to be the West of England Director of this

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Obituaries

For publication of full obituaries and tributes please visit https://development.mtsn.org.uk/obituaries