Bob had a great many interests in his life, but perhaps four stand out above the rest. Firstly he was a dedicated Member of the Association. A very modest man, he always felt grateful for what he thought the School had done for him, and more than repaid that debt by serving on the Committee for no fewer than 52 years! In that time he was variously the Hockey Club Representative, Membership Secretary and finally Editor of the Maroon, where his School and wide Sittingbourne connections helped him to produce a particularly friendly, ‘newsy’ type of magazine.

Secondly, he was a passionate sportsman – an accomplished hockey player and cricketer, and a keen supporter and follower of both games later in life. And when he was no longer able to participate, he was often seen devouring the pages of Wisden! His sporting exploits have given his many friends and his family a rich legacy of happy memories.

Thirdly, there was his commitment to the Church, especially to Holy Trinity, where he served as a church warden, PCC Member, Hall Trustee and, of course, as a teacher at the School. Worship was very important to him, not least through the Choir, which he joined as a boy-chorister in 1939 and in which he sang as a tenor for over 50 years. He always threw himself wholeheartedly into whatever activity was going on – fairs, fetes, plays and social events, and so on.

Finally, Bob was above all a dedicated family man. He married Ann in 1961, and had a daughter, two sons and three grandchildren.

At his funeral on 21^st May, his son, Tim, himself an Old Bordenian, paid an eloquent and moving tribute on behalf of all the family, during which he quoted many examples of the care, love and devotion which his father had shown throughout their lives.

Blessed with a healthy sense of humour and an outgoing nature, Bob was the one of the most companionable of men, a prominent and popular member of the whole community. His death has left a huge void in the lives of his family and countless friends.

The funeral will take place on Thursday 24th June at 1.30 pm at Silverdale Church, Silverdale, Lancs.  All are welcome in Church.  Family flowers only, but donations if wished to either the Westmorland General Cardiac Centre or to Londsdale Scouts, c/o of the Funeral Directors, Alan M. Fawcett, 71 Main Road, Bolton Le Sands, Carnforth LA5 8DL.

 ”I often think that people fall into two categories : those who seek to achieve fame as an end in itself (a good example is Disraeli), and those who want to do something in this world. Without doubt, Terry belonged to the second category .

He was an activist in the most modern of ways, and he showed this right from the beginning. He was captain of his school, and a sergeant-major in the cadet corps, in which role he made the boys jump! He was a fast mover ; whenever there was a problem, you knew Terry was either there or on his way there to sort things out. In his Methodist Church, he held almost every office except that of Minister. There are two kinds of Methodists: Cornish Methodists, and the rest! Any preacher who is invited to speak to Cornish Methodists had better be good! Terry remained very loyal to Cornwall and he never lost his soft, Cornish accent. At the same time, he took a keen and detailed interest in Kent history – he knew a great deal, for instance, about the Sheppey Light Railway.

‘I worked closely with him for over 30 years, for 29 of which he was Deputy Headmaster. We never quarrelled. He was not a confrontational sort of person – he always remained reasonable and composed – but he was a deep thinker. He invariably came up with points that others hadn’t thought of, and that was partly because he was so thorough. George Hardy told me that, well before I arrived, KCC engineers produced a plan for rewiring the School. Terry examined it in painstaking detail and produced several suggestions for improvements which the experts readily accepted. He was good at everything he set out to do.

Apart from his intelligence, he was a splendid sounding-board for the ideas of others. And he was intensely loyal. Schools are often a hotbed of gossip and rumours, but they never started with Terry As the staff discovered if they tried to extract information from him, he never betrayed a confidence.

While he continued to return to his Cornish roots, over the last 20 years or so, he and his wife developed a great affection for France. They often stayed at our cottage in the Vendee, and even when he was no longer able to make the journey, he frequently visited the town’s website – and only recently gave me a picture which he had downloaded showing the local beach, a beach full of happy memories for us, covered in snow. I shall cherish this. Terry was one of my best friends.  His wife, Yvonne, and all his family are assured of our love, in their efforts to deal with this terrible loss”.

Terry Veal came to Borden in 1958 and stayed there until his retirement in 2000. I left the School as a pupil long before he arrived, so I must make way for others to bear testimony to his legendary gifts as a teacher. I had the great good fortune, however, and the privilege (and it certainly was a privilege) of working quite closely with him for several years when I was Chairman of the Governors’ Finance Committee, and he was, in effect, the financial director of the School. I was going to say that he was the Vince Cable of Borden, but that would be to sell him short. He had a huge fund of common sense, and a complete grasp of the financial problems of what was, in practice, a medium-sized business. Unsurprisingly perhaps, he had a great ‘feel’ for figures, the sort of gift that becomes increasingly rare the more we rely on calculators. He knew instinctively when something wasn’t quite right, and it was impossible to fault his forecasting abilities or the way in which he exercised financial control. If only he had been Chancellor or the Exchequer for the past ten years….

He always made a point of attending our Annual Reunion Dinners, where the affection in which he was held by generations of Old Bordenians was obvious. In all the time I knew him, I never heard Terry say a bad word about anybody, nor did I ever hear anyone speak other than warmly about him. He was a gentle man in every sense, and we are all the richer for having known him.

Graham Barnes

Some Members may remember that he made a special point of attending the 2008 Annual Dinner, where this photograph was taken. 

We also show here a letter which appeared in the 2004 Maroon, and which mentions some of his interests and achievements.  Our sincere sympathies go to his widow, Wendy, and two daughters

Extracts from a letter written by John Lifton which appeared in the 2004 Maroon:

As obituaries of school friends appear in each edition of the Maroon, I suddenly realise that I have become a genuine old boy of the School. I count myself very fortunate to have been educated at Borden Grammar School and will always be grateful for the wise education that I received from a range of dedicated and gifted teachers.

Although my career as a veterinary surgeon had a fairly narrow focus, the wide range of subjects taught to me encouraged a broad interest in later life. I am still a francophone and francophile – thanks in no small measure to Jimmy Howard. I have also retained a great interest in history – thanks to Herbie Highton.

Although I did fairly well in the school certificate examination, with credits in eight out of nine subjects, I did not mature until I had gained farm experience at the Kent Farm Institute (the original BGS), and had two years abroad in the RAMC (I couldn’t get into the RAVC). I could have entered the Royal Veterinary College in 1945 had a place been available. As it was, I finally gained a place (without an interview), after worrying the life out of the registrar!

I had nursed a burning ambition to become a veterinary surgeon from eight years of age. I was fortunate enough to be granted a “special exhibition” by the KEC – as a result of gaining honours in the first professional examination at the RVC at the end of the first year, which sustained me for the rest of the course. George Hardy wrote a testimonial for me, saying “He does not appear to have wavered from his intention in the slightest” – although in all honesty he could not praise my academic record in the sixth form!

I worked in a mixed practice in Gloucester for five years before accepting a position in New Zealand to look after 10,000 dairy cows in the Waikato, the dairy centre of the Country. After my contract expired, I set up in private practice in West Auckland where I eventually employed two other veterinarians. I changed to exclusive companion-animal practice as urbanisation excluded farm animals.

During my career, I was elected member of the Council of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, for two stints of four years and became president of both the Auckland Branch and the National Companion Animal Society. I was also appointed liaison officer with the RSPCA. In 1971 I was honoured by being granted foundation membership of a specialist group, the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists.

My interest in amateur dramatics has persisted. I was never good at team sports at School. Frank Horlock in my one of my school reports said I had “average ability but was rather tiresome”. However, I have since maintained fitness with jogging, bash tramping (sic) and scuba diving.

Wendy and I travelled to New Zealand by sea with two and a half children on a six-week voyage before the advent of routine air travel. Emigration was a difficult enterprise for us, but how much worse it must have been for those early settlers. I still regard the Isle of Sheppey as my home and BGS as the school which gave me my values and skills to enjoy a worthwhile life and professional career.

John Lifton

John Weekes, who worked at Borden Grammar School for 39 years, has died aged 85. 

John suffered with ill health, mainly due to Parkinson’s disease, for the past few years.

 He grew up in Cliffe, near Rochester, and joined the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, qualifying as a pilot in 1944.  He flew Tiger Moths, Spitfires and Hurricanes among others and maintained a keen interest in flying until his death.  He flew a Tiger Moth for the first time in more than 60 years as part of his 80^th birthday celebrations.

 After the war, he began work as a teacher at Borden Grammar School, becoming a much respected teacher of PE and woodwork, technical drawing and mathematics.  In 1974 he was one of the first to obtain an Open University degree in mathematics.

By the time he retired in 1986, he was head of the sixth form.

 In a testimonial given to John, George Hardy, the late former head teacher of Borden Grammar, wrote:  “Mr Weekes understands boys, he can draw them out, he can work with them …; he is a popular member of the common room, friendly and witty – liked and respected by all.

 “Mr Weekes is the master every head welcomes on his staff – a professional, man of dignity, a friendly person, a man you can turn to for help.”

John loved trains and ran the school’s model railway club.  He had kept his boyhood train set and after retirement set it up in the attic of his bungalow, making new tracks himself and fashioning very realistic Pullman carriages out of old oil cans.

His years of flying and navigation gave him a passion for astronomy and in the early 60s he built his own telescope grinding the 6in mirror himself in his spare room.

 Later he built an observatory in the garden which housed a bigger 12in reflecting telescope.  This enabled him to make more detailed observations and drawings of the planets, particularly the moon.  Some of his drawings were published in the British Astronomical Association Magazine. 

He inspired pupils at school and many became enthusiastic about astronomy and would come to look through the telescope.  At one time he interviewed Patrick Moore at his home for Radio Kent.

After he retired he enjoyed golf, holidays with his late wife, Ceinwen and spending time with his family and friends.  He will be sadly missed by his two daughters, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

 The funeral took place at the Garden of England Crematorium, Bobbing at noon on Friday 22 January.

 Article reproduced by kind permission of Christine Rayner, editor East Kent Gazette. Pictures supplied to the EKG by John’s family.

He was a committee member for many years until very recently.  He and Alec Stride resurrected the Sheppey Dinner in 1994 after a long absence.  The dinner had been very successful in the 1930′s but faded soon after the war.  The dinner has now become a part of the Association’s calendar and when Tony Crosse provided the entertainment, a must was his rendering of ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ performed especially for John – with encores!

John attended the school from 1943 to 1950.  He joined the RAF for his National Service as a medic, caring for the injured personnel being evacuated by air from around the world back to the UK.  He qualified as a civil engineer and, after some time in local government, worked in London for the Chemical Industries Association becoming a leading authority on the movement of dangerous chemicals and the disposal of poisonous effluents.

A frequent traveller to all parts, he said he was recognised by Customs and Immigration staff at Heathrow interested to know his destination that day.  Being based in London, other Old Boys working in the city found themselves with John in dubious locations – but no prosecutions followed!

He later worked as Safety Officer for the chemical company AKZO, ran the newsagents at Sheerness Railway Station, was a security officer at Sheerness docks and studied for a psychology degree at Kent University.  In retirement, he was an active member of Probus in Sittingbourne, becoming Treasurer for a number of years and then President.

He was interested in music, particularly the big band sound of the 30′s and 40′s (Glenn Miller music featured at his funeral) and he was vice chairman of the Sheppey Organ Club for 12 years.  His thespian skills were legend on may organ club holidays.

His deep interest in education extended beyond Borden; he was a former chairman of Rose Street Primary School (Sheerness) Board of Governors and a governor of Danley Middle School for many years.  He was a local councillor for a Minster Ward, but often found himself in conflict with the party machine in that he felt his constituent’s interests were more important than political dogma.  Not surprisingly, he resigned and put more effort into his Masonic lodge activities.

He is survived by three daughters and four grandchildren.

A dedicated family man and a committed Christian, Tom had a major influence on so many people’s lives through his activities as a Covenanter Leader.  A deacon of the Baptist Church at Sittingbourne, Upminster and finally at Hornchurch, he spent much of his spare time helping young people as a Youth Leader, and in his later years he even ran the Tuck Shop at the Church Youth Club!

Tom was what used to be known as “a kindly man”, a gentleman in every sense of the word ; and he led by example, never by preaching.  Utterly selfless, he would go to great lengths to assist others – for instance, by going out often late at night to get medicines or driving those attending the Covenanter’s Club to sports functions and camps in Cornwall.  His wide experience and common-sense advice made a valuable contribution to the Old Bordenian Association’s Committee Meetings which he attended for several years, despite a difficult car journey home to Upminster late at night.

Our deepest sympathy goes to his widow, Alene, and his family.

Graham Barnes

After school, however, this huge talent never really developed. He played football for Sittingbourne for quite a few years and he became a good golfer. He married and there are three children. Divorce arrived and Bob Davis then tended to drift. He never found a job which interested him enough to push himself. We often wondered ‘what Bob was doing’. That streak of rebelliousness never left him. I had not seen him for ages but when I heard of his death an enormous feeling of sadness and affection overwhelmed me. We look back thinking who were our heroes and Bob was the first of my life.

‘The Road not Taken’, a poem written by the American poet, Robert Frost finishes:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Richard Witts