Obituaries
had married in 1939, just days before the outbreak of war. His duties as a fireman were limited, only having to attend one fire, in a hen house that had been caused by a stray match. While on duty waiting for fires to fight, he was able to refine his lecturing skills in talks about art and commerce to his colleagues. After the war ended he returned to his job at the bank, but left again soon afterwards to take an emergency course in teaching for mature students, because schools were very short-staffed at that time. For a few years after the course, he taught at an LCC secondary school in London but, in 1955, he became head of the Commercial department at Oxford City Technical School in Cowley Road, Oxford. When the school moved to a new site in Headington, which later became Oxford Brookes University, the whole commercial department finally settled there. His great love outside work was music. He had played the clarinet in the College band when he was at Dulwich, and in his retirement he took up the double bass so that he could play in an amateur orchestra. He carried his double bass through the streets with a case covering it because it had not been supplied with one, causing great concern to his family and friends. He took a piano teaching diploma and attended many piano courses to further his musical skills. He was a keen member of a piano group who latterly, due to Eddie’s great age and virtual blindness, met at his home for rehearsals, right up until the time he and Marie, at the ages of 103 and 98 respectively, needed to move into residential care. As part of his centenary birthday celebrations, he had taken a lead role in a concert put on by his family at Ickford parish church, performing his own compositions and entertaining the audience. His family and friends have many happy memories of help and hospitality on these occasions. He is survived by Marie after more than 72 years of marriage. Their niece, Dorothy Oxley, contributed significantly to this obituary. Dr Peter Le Couteur (1938-42) 17.09.1924 – 04.03.2013 Peter Le Couteur and his parents left Guernsey when he was 14, made their home in Beckenham, and Peter came to Dulwich. After leaving the College, he went to the University of London to read Electronics, before gaining a place at Oxford and earning a PhD in Chemistry. While at Oxford, he was a rower and his doctorate thesis was published. He became a research chemist before moving on to become Chief Executive at Rank-Brimar in Sidcup. For quite a few years before his retirement, he was a patents examiner. Outside work, Peter had many interests and hobbies. He went ice skating at Richmond ice rink with the Civil Service Skating Club, was an extremely competent ballroom dancer and was the sound effects person for the Worcester Park Dramatic Society, where he was latterly made an honorary member. He loved reading and had an extensive library on many subjects, including
Tussauds, was closely involved in the successful resolution of the Balcombe Street siege and was credited with having restored order during the Notting Hill riots in 1976. As head of New Scotland Yard’s Public Order branch between 1977 and 1979, Bob was in charge of policing many demonstrations, strikes, football-related violence and terrorist incidents. He also embarked on transforming police strategy and tactics in the public order field, and devised the Gold (strategic), Silver (tactical) and Bronze (implementation) command structure for policing disorder, which is still in use today. After the 1981 Brixton riots, he worked closely with the Home Office to review the police response and oversaw the production of the first ACPO Tactical Options Manual, which became the foundation for public order training nationally. He was appointed OBE in 1984. In 1986 he underwent a triple heart bypass operation but then returned to work as the head of the Force Inspectorate from 1987 to 1990, when he was promoted to Assistant Commissioner Territorial Operations, with responsibility for operations at all police stations in London, and was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 1991. From 1993 he led a radical reorganisation to modernise police managerial structures and philosophy. Once he had completed this, he retired in April 1995, as the longest-serving officer in the Metropolitan Police. His retirement message summed up his policing philosophy:‘There has to be partnership – working with the public, not against them.’ In retirement, he acted as an adviser to police forces in Jamaica, Uganda and the British Virgin Islands, as well as helping the elderly in his local community in Banstead, Surrey. He is survived by Jean and their four children. Obituaries were published in The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, on which this obituary is based.
Alfred Edward Jenkinson (1920-27) 14.05.1909 – 04.03.2013
Eddie Jenkinson grew up in Peckham, south London, and came to Dulwich at the age of 11 from Ivydale Road Primary School, Peckham Rye, having obtained a scholarship, and he was in Raleigh. After leaving the College, he joined the St
Mary Axe branch of the Westminster Bank in the City of London. There, all the work was done by hand (there being no computers to help with the calculations or to write the ledgers in those days, of course). While working at the bank, he was also studying at night school to obtain a Commerce degree. In 1939, being a conscientious objector, he was conscripted into the Fire Service during the Second World War. This meant he was able to spend much of the war years living at home in Beckenham with his wife, Marie, whom he
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