Concordia 25_cover section.indd

prestigious company, today known as Compass Food Services Ltd.), Iain was on holiday in his beloved Ibiza with OMTs Michael Bates, Guy Broughton's widow, Pauline (the only lady in the group) and Roger Southcombe, when he encountered Elizabeth Berian Thomas together with nursing friends on a similar jaunt. Iain and Elizabeth were married in Llanilar, Cardiganshire in July 1969. Elizabeth was the daughter of a West Wales doctor and hence began Iain's connection with the Principality which was to last a lifetime. Elizabeth also has memories of Durrants – a woman trespassing into breakfast after an overnight stay, complete with baby girl Katie, who had spent the night in a chest of drawers; she was also instrumental in drawing to a close Iain's longstanding connection with the Easter Rugby tour following an episode in 1972, better left undisclosed, which involved a very poorly wife who had recently given birth to Sophie, a Bristol hospital and a pub in Shepton Mallett! By this time the family was living in Almondsbury near Bristol before a move in 1973 to Coley in Gloucestershire. But ill health saw Iain retire from Sutcliffe in 1977 and the family returned to Elizabeth's Welsh roots, moving to Cosheston, Pembrokeshire where Chestnut House became a successful B&B. However, Iain was far from ready to retire, and restored to good health, the maverick in him applied for the position of Catering Officer in the Sultan of Oman’s Royal Air Force based on Masirah Island. That he was offered the job came as a surprise but resulted in ten years of commuting to the Middle East, sometimes with Elizabeth, who herself has many reminiscences of an extraordinary period. Retirement from the Sultan's Air Force came in 1988 and by this time the family home had moved to Main Street Pembroke where the Grapevine Wine Bar was flourishing. Now began that period of Iain's life best known to many fellow OMTs. For in 1989, together with Clive Huxley and supported by Fred Huskisson, Iain pioneered the OMT Welsh Weekend – originally as a Friday evening Dinner at one of several Pembrokeshire hostelries followed by light recreation on Saturday. With Iain to the fore, the Weekend became a highlight of the OMT calendar, and he remains an inspiration for its continued popularity. Peter Ashford, (who began at MTS in 1939!) gives his own personal tribute: “we had the pleasure of enjoying the Welsh Weekend, which Iain organised at the outset with Clive Huxley and after Clive's passing in 1993. Iain managed it on his own before

handing over to Jeff Pearson in 2010. It was very successful, in part due to Iain's capable management and knowledge of food and drink. We also had the pleasure of OMT visits to Upton Castle owned by his friends, Reverend John and Joy Skelton, where we played croquet on the lawn. Iain was very popular and attracted a large number of his old OMT friends”. I would echo Peter's words and vividly recall the time when ladies were first invited to the Dinner (hitherto they had dined separately) – nobody broke taboos better than Iain. Nor was there a stronger supporter of HM Armed Forces, dating back to his National Service days in the Navy. It was no surprise that from 1990 to 2006 Iain was the volunteer Regional Welfare Support Manager for the Soldiers, Sailors. Airmen and Families Association (SSAF). During this time Iain and Elizabeth made their final move to the delightful Schoolroom Cottage, Upper Nash. Iain became Treasurer of Nash Church and Elizabeth a JP sitting on the local bench. Equally, in keeping with a lifetime of exploration and change, in 2011 Iain and Elizabeth purchased a second home in Montmorillon, France (near to daughter Sophie), where they lived for three months of the year until 2020 – and stocked up the Schoolroom cellar! By this time Iain was the proud grandfather of Thomas, Henry, and Valentin. To the very end, Iain remained larger than life. It was the greatest pleasure to see him enjoying the 2021 OMT Welsh Weekend lunch in company with his fellow Centre, John Cherry. The tireless, indefatigable and wonderfully caring Elizabeth saw Iain through the final difficult months until his passing – perfectly timed just before our Dinner – where we raised a glass to our founder and inspiration. Iain touched the lives of so many with his felicitous, magnanimous 'spirit of the ages'. A host of tributes will follow. Nick Foley adds his own thus: "Iain was a remarkable leader, always in a discreet and charming manner; all OMTs owe him a great debt for his vision, expertise and friendship". I close with Peter Ashford's apt summary; "Iain was generous and kindly. He will be greatly missed". Iain’s spirit will live on wherever there are OMTs. (Christopher Hirst 1958-1965) Further memories of Iain from Nick Foley (1944-1949) and Tony Wright (1950 1957) appear on the website https:// development.mtsn.org.uk/obituaries

Jeremy Bridgeland (1961-1967) died on 1st April 2020 Anthony Milner (1951-1957) died on 28th September 2021 Neville Griffin (1953-1957) died on 1st October 2021 E Harrison (1956-1961) died on 23rd November 2021 John Read (1960-1966) died on 30th November 2021 Tony Eggleston (1941-1946) died in December 2021 Allan Tucker (1947-1952) died on 2nd January 2022 Jeffrey Pearson (1949-1954) died on 7th January 2022 Alan Young (1952-1956) died on 28th January Godfrey Harrap (1954-1958) died on 5th February 2022 Alexander (Sandy) Macnab (1949-1953) died on 29th March 2022 Michael Goodall (1941-1945) died on 3rd April 2022 Jeremy Gaskell (1957-1959) died on 29th April 2022 Chris Peacock (1949-1955) died on 27th May 2022 Justin Mote (1974-1978) died in June 2022 Norman Bryant (1953-1956) died on 23rd June 2022 Iain Hardcastle (1943-1947) died on 1st September 2022 Brian Farr (1944-1949) died on 21st September 2022 Roy Hutchins (1949-1954) died on 30th September 2022 Allan Gibb (1948-1953) died in October 2022 William (Bill) Sheppard (1933-1936) died on 1st October 2022 David Joynes (1944-1950) died on 13th October 2022 Peter Milliken-Smith (1949-1953) died on 10th November 2022

Concordia Winter 2022

65

Obituaries

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