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Chris Lord (G 53-57) writes regarding Neil Campbell (G 53-58):

"I was saddened to read in the latest Old St Beghian that Neil Campbell died in June.

Neil and I were contemporaries at Dormie House School, West Kirby, Wirral and we shared a desk for our final year. We started at St Bees together in September 1953 - Neil at Eaglesfield, I at Meadow House, but both on Grindal. During our first summer term I remember having one game of tennis with him before realising that I was wasting Neil's time, let alone my own! We also cycled together on the Loweswater - Crummock - Buttermere circuit on one of those wonderful threequarter days. Aside from our roots on the Wirral, we had little in common.

Neil was an athlete and a good sportsman, who I think played as stand off or centre in the 1st XV, and who was also more than adequate in the classroom; whereas I was hopeless at cricket, rugby and athletics and struggled to leave school with six O-levels.

For several years after leaving school, we would see each other at Chester Old Boys' Dinners. I think that Neil spent some time at a sheep station in Australia after leaving St Bees. Those were the days when National Service was just ending and many young men took the opportunity to do something adventurous in lieu of the two years which they would have spent in HM Forces. His father had his own business, I think, supplying hospitals, and Neil took this on at some stage. We had a connection which developed much later in that Neil married Heather Logie, who had been a close friend of one of my cousins, Donald Crighton. Don was a godfather to one of Neil and Heather's children. The last time I saw Neil was thirteen years ago at Don's funeral.

Neil was a good guy, as they say on Merseyside, and there was no side to him. He would not put himself ahead of others and he would always be a friend when you needed one."

 


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