Sam Ashton (SH 47-53) has sent in the following.

Edward ‘Ted’ Percy (FS 51-56).
           
“In yesteryear Ted`s family, the Percy`s and my mother`s family the Knowles`, must have had a close acquaintance in north Cheshire cafe society, thus I was told to look out for him when he came to St Bees, Eaglesfield House, to begin his time at the school. Ted remembered my somewhat gruff greeting: ‘Anyone here called Percy’?

Being four years his senior at that time at St Bees was an unbridgeable gulf, senior boys simply did not mentor juniors, and we were on different houses.
 
Details of his time at St Bees are sparse but he did win a scholarship to one of the Cambridge colleges and there got a degree in Natural Sciences, and whilst there got involved in amateur dramatics, which he greatly enjoyed. He then went to St Thomas` hospital to begin training to be a doctor. He did his gynaecology training then decided that doctoring was not for him. But whilst at St Thomas he met Art Themen, consultant by day, alto saxophonist by night, and not just any saxophonist but a member of Stan Tracey`s Quartet. Ted stayed on in London for a while thoroughly immersing himself in the jazz scene.

His next move was back home to Cheshire to help nurse his mother, who had cancer, and when she died he went out to California to visit his sister and brother in law.

Back in England he decided he wanted to be a librarian and went to Manchester Polytechnic to do the two year-practical course. Having completed that, his first job was with Lancashire County Council at their newly built library in Morecambe, and there he met his wife Barbara, to whom I`m indebted for much of the content of this account of Ted`s life, and to whom he was married for fifty six years; he died on 30th January 2025.

His career as a librarian ran from 1969 until 1993 when he took early retirement.

The role of a children`s and school`s Librarian is to look after children`s and teachers’ book-needs in public libraries and schools, and this gives scope for other things such as story times, holiday reading, and encouraging children, parents, and carers reading for fun, for learning and for enjoying themselves.

Having got to know Ted in the latter half of his life I`m sure he did all these things with zest and good humour; he was quite the extrovert.

He and Barbara then moved north, first to a house in the Scottish Borders with two fields and a wood, and then to Forres, Morayshire.

Wherever they lived Ted sought out and got involved in the jazz scene, including playing his tenor sax with whomever and whenever he could, and went to jazz festivals nationwide, including Appleby where I met him one July in the late 1980s, and Southport, where we twice met.

When he and Barbara were living near the Grand Union Canal he raised funds for the Milton Keynes Narrowboat Trust by doing long sponsored walks, including parties of children for sections; I discovered that among the jazz fraternity he was, and remains known with some affection as `Towpath Ted`.

Whilst living in the Scottish Borders he and two friends started the Borders Festival of Jazz and Blues in Hawick, which ran for ten years.

In addition to all the above he and Barbara wherever they lived were enthusiastic gardeners, she growing the flowers, he the vegetables. He was also an avid quiz goer and now and again went on cycling trips in Cumbria, Scotland, and Belgium, where he especially enjoyed the beer. He lived a very full and busy life.

When in 1996 I discovered the `Appleby scene’ I did not recognise Ted, but he had a high profile: large, bearded and, once refreshed by the sponsor`s beer, eccentricities appeared, for example leading a conga round the interior of the marquee. I was quite astonished when he recognised me from seeing my name on a list of ‘Friends of Appleby Jazz’. Thereafter we hung out together annually until 2007 when, on a Sunday evening, well known musician Alan Barnes announced from the bandstand that not only had Northern Arts stopped their grant but also that Jennings brewery had sold out and the new owners were not interested in continuing their sponsorship. Alan then said a collection would be made to plug the financial hole and started it off with a tenner. No prizes for guessing who came round with the bucket and who collected £2,000 within ten minutes.

Postscript. I was in awe of this top rank of jazz musicians, but Ted introduced me to many, and when in 2009 I saw an opportunity to start my own modest scene here in Hornby, the introductions made by Ted were a great help. At one of our first performances, in April 2010, featuring Alan Barnes (reeds) and David Newton (piano) we had a mini OSB gathering, Ted came to stay as did Barry Saunders, and from nearby, James Brindle came, and as I write `Jazz in Hornby` continues.”

 

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