Memories of J. D. Heaton at St Bees, 1942-1947, and elsewhere
by D. C. Holliday (F 46-52).

It has been my privilege to witness and be a friend of the most talented and successful sportsman (in my opinion) produced by the school since the Second World War. I entered school in 1946, which was Donald’s last year, and watched his exploits on both the rugby and cricket fields with admiration and also when he was Victor Ludorum in athletics. He excelled at all sports except swimming and became Cumberland Junior Tennis Champion at school. He was scrum half with Michael Thompson at fly half in 1945/46, these two moved to centre the following season, forming an outstanding combination highlighted by Michael’s power and Donald’s silky running skills. Donald was selected for England in the annual Public Schools’ international against Scotland. The press reports show he had an outstanding game. In one match for St Bees he scored a try, converted it, dropped a goal and kicked a penalty all within fifteen minutes! He was one of the first exponents of place kicking round the corner using the instep rather than the toe end.

Donald captained the school at cricket in 1947. He was an opening bowler who could conceal a slow leg break or bowl fast leg breaks if required. However, it was as a batsman that he sparkled, going in at number three. In an away match at Giggleswick, the ball had to be replaced several times during his innings – the leather being repeatedly damaged on the rocky boundary. S.T. Aston, who coached the 1st XI, always maintained that Donald’s finest innings for the school was at Rossall on a ‘turner’.

After school he was accepted into the medical school at Durham University, which then had three separate sporting clubs, all independent and bitter rivals with their own fixture lists in all sports. The university teams were selected from these three clubs. Donald’s sporting talents were rewarded by his captaining both the university rugby and cricket teams. When cricket captain he played a part in guiding the young Frank (Typhoon) Tyson to cricket stardom.

On holiday from university, Donald played for Carlisle at both rugby and cricket. Rockcliffe also featured at rugby, when he was in residence in the North East after meeting his future wife Eileen, whose family happened to be officials of that club. On one occasion he was proud to be part of a Carlisle Rugby Club back line made up entirely of Old Boys! When reading medicine, he also played for Cumberland and Westmorland, gaining thirty odd caps, and was selected to play for the North of England against the South of Scotland in the first ever floodlit rugby union match, played at Brunton Park, Carlisle.

During his years of National service in the RAF, he represented this arm of the services at both rugby and cricket and also the Combined Services at cricket. At this time he also played twice with distinction against the legendary West Indian touring side which featured the three ‘W’s’ (Worrall, Weeks and Walcott) and the two spinners Ramadhin and Valentine.

After moving to the Bedford area to practise medicine, he captained Bedford at both rugby and cricket. He was a prolific points’ scorer at stand off. He also gained further inter-county recognition with caps representing Notts., Lincs., Derby., and finally Bedfordshire. He must be the only player to have represented so many different teams in the Championship, starting with his county of birth. The others were because of residential qualifications.

In life, as on the sporting field, Donald remained a gentleman, always praising opponents and colleagues alike. He often used this charm to cover an intense determination to win and lull his opponents into a false sense of security (which contributed to their downfall!). As expected, his skill often invited foul play on the rugby field, to which he never responded with acts of petulance.

At St Bees, T.A. Brown, Donald’s housemaster on Foundation North, played a vital role in nurturing sporting talent generally, and mindful of this, Donald organised a rugby dinner at the Borrowdale Hotel in 1995 for those who had represented the school during T.A.’s decade of coaching success from 1941 to 1952. He was also mainly responsible for the ‘plaque’ in memory of T.A., which was in 1997 placed at the bottom of the steps leading to the Crease. This event was marked by a dinner in Foundation on the preceding evening, coincidentally some fifty years after Donald left St Bees.

Finally, the writer continues to be amazed at how Donald was able to fit the demands of study, his profession as a doctor and his legendary performances on the field all together. Such commitment would have been impossible without the support of his family. His wife Eileen, daughters Caroline and Jill and granddaughter Judith can be truly proud!

 

Home

The St Beghian Society,    St Bees School,    St Bees,    Cumbria,    CA27 0DS.
         Tel: (01946) 828093      Email: osb@st-bees-school.co.uk      
Web: www.st-beghian-society.co.uk