Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Does anyone remember Nick/Nicholas Coker? I believe he left in 1969. I recently watched The Souvenir, a movie by Joanna Hogg, which features an intriguing character heavily inspired by him. A feature film she made in college starring Tilda Swinton was also dedicated to him. From what I have gathered online he was the son of artist Peter Coker and himself was a talented draughtsman and art academic. I am curious to know more about his earlier life, if anyone knows/remembers.

sd2024 wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2024 12:04 pm Does anyone remember Nick/Nicholas Coker? I believe he left in 1969. I recently watched The Souvenir, a movie by Joanna Hogg, which features an intriguing character heavily inspired by him. A feature film she made in college starring Tilda Swinton was also dedicated to him. From what I have gathered online he was the son of artist Peter Coker and himself was a talented draughtsman and art academic. I am curious to know more about his earlier life, if anyone knows/remembers.

I'm sorry to say Nic Coker's death was reported in The Blue for Summer Term 1985. No details were given and no obituary appeared later.

Here's a portrait of Nic (as I remember he spelt it at CH, at least when a Grecian) by his father, done at around the time he left school:

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/sear ... =sit&rNo=0

And here's another:

https://charlessaumarezsmith.com/wp-con ... 696498.jpg

Nic's years at CH were 1961 to 1970. He was latterly in Middleton A. I'm afraid the National Portrait Gallery confirms his death in 1985.

He studied at King's College, Cambridge, and went on to do a Master's at the Courtauld Institute.

This is a page of links to blog posts by Charles Saumarez Smith, most of which relate to Nic and (more often than not) the film you mention:

https://charlessaumarezsmith.com/?s=coker

I shan't try to summarise the mysterious, glamorous, tragic story that half-emerges.

Nick Coker was in Middleton A at CH.

He was a few years older than me but he was a talented sportsman and musician. His instrument was the flute and he was hesitant, despite his talent at the game, to play too much rugby as he feared for his fingers and teeth which would adversely impact on his music.

He died tragically young. I will try to link a house photograph from 1969 which includes Nick.

https://www.chforum.info/pictures/MidA1969.gif

Nick is immediately behind Matron (Miss Rawson).

Thanks for posting the Mid A photo from 1969. I remember this photo and recognise one or two faces here, including my late brother Greg Strange (Mid A 64-71), who is in the fourth row up, second from the right. I recall my brother mentioning Nick Coker to me, but I think he had just left as I arrived at CH in September 1969.

My older brother Patrick Dearsley (in the Mid A photo linked here below) was great friends with Nic/Nick. Through this connection, I fell very strongly in love with Nick and spent some time with him and his parents in Essex where they lived, and one holiday in the Dales. I don't think - allowing for my infatuation, youth and impressionability- I've ever met anyone quite as capable of drawing you into his web of charisma. It took me years to throw off the hold he had. But, as well as being charming, immensely clever, and gifted as a flautist, he was dangerously amoral and had no compunction in sponging off everyone and anyone. And had the brilliant ability to make you feel petty for worrying about something as trivial as money. The Souvenir film is a fantastic re-creation of this dangerous charm. I recognised him immediately, without knowing anything about Joanna Hodge's history with him. He was something of a fantasist, and I think he felt his genius should have been recognised and rewarded without any effort on his part. I felt very sorry for his parents when he died. It must have been desperately grim and shocking.
A terrible waste.