Tribute to Peter


The most immediate memory/image I have of Peter is of him in the classroom for B1 at Bickley Hall.
We are playing Fizz Buzz. We started at one and went upwards. Instead of e.g. saying 5 or 10, we had
to say Fizz instead. Any number that was a multiple of or divisible by 5 became Fizz. Any number that
was a multiple of or divisible by 7 became Buzz. Any number that was divisible by or a multiple of
both 7 and 5 became Fizz-Buzz. This was not the scholarship class. The problem was remembering
precisely where we had got up to when the game was going at speed. There were some stars at this.
I wasn’t one.
Interesting lessons, and Peter was always good-humoured. Always witty, equable, and kind. No trace
of ego.
If I had, though, to pick one word that summarises best what, as a thirteen-year-old, I thought of his
character, it is ‘positivity’. I now think that this positivity was at least in part due to his Christian faith
and perhaps lack of any division between sacred and secular. All is part of God’s world.
The number of daily hours an assistant prep. school master was on duty in the Sixties must have
been high indeed but this positivity continued to radiate day after day. Along with the almost
Renaissance-man talents he had in areas as diverse foreign languages, music, numbers and theatre
(writing, performance, direction). And he was the Starter for Sports Day races at least in 1962!
I only met him once or twice after Bickley Hall and on the most recent occassion was able to thank
him properly but belatedly for all his teaching. He was still positive (though walking was difficult),
witty and commendably discreet even after fifty years. It was great that he was able to continue
into old age the Christian activities he mentioned to me. He enhanced life for me and those he met.
Peter was an impressive man who used his time and talents wisely.


Bill MacFarlane