Words By Simon Northcote Green
PAGE 77
2019
Terry Walsh obituary
enabled him to break school records at Churchers and for him to represent the UAU in his final year at Southampton, in a side that included Typhoon Tyson. Later, Terry was called up by Hampshire when he was playing for his beloved Lymington CC, only to break his finger on the eve of doing so. While writing this, I have tried to imagine being a boy in one of his Lower School classes. It isn’t a hard exercise. I expect that I would have to arrive on time; a firm control and discipline would be maintained from the start; there would be regular testing of my knowledge, and my slow learner friend would always feel supported and treated sympathetically. Once the serious stuff had been completed, some gentle humour would be tolerated, as long as respect and good manners were upheld. All this and much more about his style would probably now be seen as old-fashioned, but it had enduring effects on his charges. So committed was Terry to his public life that there seemed to be time for little else. His devoted wife, Patricia, who predeceased him, lent him great support whilst they ran The Orchard, and their Christmas parties were legendary. Their children, Edward and Victoria, spoke with affection and immense distinction at their father’s funeral and thanksgiving service; there was not a seat left in the house. Terry would have been moved by their tributes as they shared their memories of being TJW’s offspring and living either on or just off the campus. As we reflect on his life, we may summarise what Terry’s proudest achievements were. I think he may well put at the top of his batting order his role as Director of the Bursary Appeal, his office raising over £2.5 million to enable families to receive support in sending their sons to the College. His very personal approach to Old Alleynians was always well received, and they gave generously. Countless handwritten thank you letters would follow, and even the smallest donations were recognised, as he knew that the personal touch still mattered. As a result of his endeavours, the Governors made him the first Fellow of the College, and it was his title of Senior Fellow which became a source of immense pride to him. There is no doubt that he also relished the opportunities afforded to him as President of the Alleyn Club from 2002 to 2003, after completing his stint as Secretary from 1989 to 2002. So we say farewell to our dear friend, and give thanks for all that he did for the College. Terry would often quote Hilaire Belloc at the end of an address, and I think it appropriate to do the same in this small tribute to a wonderful man. ‘From quiet homes and first beginning, out to the undiscovered ends, there’s nothing worth the wear of winning, but laughter and the love of friends.’
In each of the several offices which he held during his time at the College, he was known to be firm and fair, frank and honest, dutiful and totally loyal to the single institution which he served during his career. Like no other, he relished honouring ‘Dulwich College’ (even the way in which he pronounced this had resonance) giving it an almost spiritual reverence and a sublime status in the world of education. Dulwich set the standards by which other schools measured themselves. There was place neither for shoddiness nor for shallow self-promotion. Dulwich boys, in his view, should become confident but not complacent. Modesty was a key virtue. The same modesty was reflected in so many of his stories and anecdotes – too many to relate in these pages. Two will suffice. When David Emms took office as Master of the College, he appointed Terry as his Deputy in 1978. They would meet for a glass of gin and tonic in the evening to review matters, and to mull over the events of the day. It was only after David had returned from sabbatical, when Terry had been Acting Master, that the latter took the plunge. ‘Master, would you mind awfully if I tell you that I have a preference for whisky rather than gin?’ Things got even better between them after this breakthrough. Terry loved telling the story of his encounter in the Half Moon pub in Herne Hill with a knowledgeable London Welsh supporter when the club moved temporarily to the area in their heyday in the 1970s. The man was joined by his striking wife and the three of them got on famously until the couple left for another engagement. Terry had so enjoyed their company that he asked the publican if they knew who they were. ‘That was Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’, came the reply. OAs will all have memories of their encounters with TJW. They will, no doubt, recall his address, telling them how they are all tied by ‘a silver thread’ which binds them together into eternity. They may not know how easily they were recalled by him, and with what astonishing detail. Mention of, say, ‘Surridge T’ who left in 1973 would gain a response such as ‘Yes, Thomas Surridge in Raleigh, brother of Hugh; good swimmer and bowled off the wrong foot; was bright and went into finance; father was an Army Chaplain.’ He would invariably be entirely accurate too. It is perhaps fitting that in his final years, he would be found sitting behind his well-ordered desk in the Archives, still able to attach memories and faces to so many of the boys whom he had encountered over the years. He would always speak of them positively without passing judgment on them. 1st X1 cricketers will recall Terry’s presence on the pavilion balcony sitting beside his old friend, Ron Branscombe, from the start of play until stumps, wearing a range of club ties (he played for several including Incogniti and the Hampshire Hogs, and was a member of the MCC). Few will know of the cricketing prowess as an unorthodox leg spinner which
1926 - 2019
A hugely respected Senior Fellow of Dulwich College. Black and blue all the way through and until his dying day, Terry Walsh was a unique presence in the life of Dulwich College from the moment he was appointed to teach History and Latin in the Lower School, in September 1954. His devotion to the College, and to its pupils, old boys and staff for sixty-five years will surely remain unsurpassed, both for its longevity and for its remarkable legacy. As Richard Cross (81-86) said on hearing of Terry’s passing, ‘It is as if the Clock Tower has fallen down.’
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