Ian Chapman (G/AC 73-80) has sent in a reminiscence of the late J.R. Offord (G/AC 75-80).
“‘Pray tell me the story of young Cuchullainn,/ How his eyes were dark his expression sullen,/ And how he’d fight and always won,/ And how they cried when he was fallen.’ The lyrics are by Thin Lizzy from a song played in our studies back in 1970s St Bees. I would apply them to one of our number, who did not originally get an obituary in the Bulletin, John Royston Offord. John was one of the best sports’ players in the school, and you can see him in many of the team photos of the era. He was captain of tennis, holder of the middle-distance cup, and in his final school year took the steeplechase record by over a minute. He was also a very combative character, with the traditional gladiatorial dislike of the soldier. Website links to view John in the 1979 1st XV and school cross country team photos please click here and also captain of the tennis team please click here. He was on Grindal, with a final year on Abbots Court by compulsory transfer. John greatly missed playing the role of assistant house sports’ coach to the junior boys. He went out in a Foundation North shirt to break the steeplechase record, and returned morosely, saying the teacher tried to query the watch because it was by over a minute - though I may be confused about this incident. He used to subscribe to cinema magazines, and go to both big releases and sometimes more obscure art films. His favourite actor was James Caan, in films such as 'Rollerball' and ‘The Gambler’.
He later went to Newcastle Polytechnic in his home city. The Offord family controlled much of the North East’s fishing business. John used to work down on the Tyneside fish docks, filleting fish in the early morning during school holidays. One summer I went up to Newcastle and met up with John. We were fifteen or sixteen, and went down to the dock, getting haircuts in a barbers right on the quayside. John was like the ‘prince of the docks’. He made an earthly exit in 1982, at twenty years of age. The 1980s coroner returned a verdict of suicide. Perhaps modern times might have said ‘misadventure’.”

 

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