Geoff Fordham RIP

[Mid A 15]

I am very sorry to have read of the death of Geoff Fordham in the latest CHOBA newsletter.

Geoff was a very humane monitor, alongside his good friend John Lloyd, during my first year at CH in Maine A. He was also an occasional poster in the early days of this forum. John Hopgood, a more prolific poster on this forum, will be saddened to read this news also.

Please see this link to Geoff's obituary in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... m-obituary

Sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[jhopgood]

It is always upsetting to see that a contemporary has moved on.
I remember Geoff, who must have been in a lot of my classes before GE, but it was always Lloyd and Fordham, almost like twins. As they were in Maine A, there was a certain amount of friendly? rivalry.
I have a feeling he was at the 50th Reunion some years ago, 2016 I presume, because I remember Lloyd being there. Lloyd lived in Grove Park which I used to cycle through on my way to a holiday job in Beckenham, but outside CH we never met.
I was a little surprised to see that his daughter in law mentioned that his time in CH exposed him to “privilege and class structure”, whereas I would have thought that the opposite was the case.
I know at the 50th I was surprised to note that we had Trade Union reps as well as Sir David Norgrove, which just showed the broad spectrum of possibilities that were opened up by an an education at CH.
I am sure that Lloyd, Russell, Neuss and Parker will have many anecdotes, but I wasn’t in their clique.
My condolences to his family and friends.

[felicitydavis1556]

I just read it too, sadly.

[brian walling]

Geoff Fordham joined Maine A from the Prep shortly before I left at end-1960. I have only slight memories of him. However, what a career he had! (It was good to see the Guardian obituary.)

In the same CHOBA Newsletter there is also a note about the passing of another Maine A Old Blue, Ian Pratt (MaA 1953-61), who was a close contemporary of mine. I am putting together a few notes about him, which I shall post here shortly. He was one of the six new boys (including myself) who joined Maine A in 1953. Sadly, with Ian's passing, only two of us now survive.

Brian Walling

[jhopgood]

There was a Pratt in Maine, cant remember which, during my time. Any relative?

[Mid A 15]

When I started in 1965 there were 3 Pratts in Maine A. Graham (house captain), Robin and Martin. I remember being told that they had an older brother (Ian presumably) whom had left a few years previously.

They also had sisters at Hertford, one of whom, Angela, used to post on this forum.

[brian walling]

When I left at end 1960 there were two Pratts in Maine A: Ian (53-61) and his brother Graham (58- ?). It was widely understood then that there was quite a pipeline of further Pratt siblings being lined up for Maine A. The last post finally answers a few of my questions about the follow-on Pratts.

John Hopgood (previous post) looks like having been at CH during the time of all the Maine A Pratt boys.

[jhopgood]

John Hopgood (previous post) looks like having been at CH during the time of all the Maine A Pratt boys.

Remembered the name but not the detail. Not surprising with so many of them.

[brian walling]

Geoff Fordham joined Maine A from the Prep shortly before I left at end-1960. I have only slight memories of him. However, what a career he had! (It was good to see the Guardian obituary.)

In the same CHOBA Newsletter there is also a note about the passing of another Maine A Old Blue, Ian Pratt (MaA 1953-61), who was a close contemporary of mine. I am putting together a few notes about him, which I shall post here shortly. He was one of the six new boys (including myself) who joined Maine A in 1953. Sadly, with Ian's passing, only two of us now survive.

Brian Walling

I have uploaded a pdf with my notes and some photos to some web space that I have available. (Images cannot easily be posted directly onto the forum.) Go to:
www.cantab.net/users/brian.walling/CH/
and you will find the file titled Ian Pratt RIP.