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Floreat
Prescotia |
The
Website for former pupils of the Prescot
Grammar and Prescot Schools |
© The
Prescotian 2000 - 2010 |
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| I too am
shocked to hear of the death of
John Parkinson. I didn't
know him but his sister Jean was
a teacher at Prescot CofE primary
and my parents knew her and her
husband Geoff well. A
couple of years ago when I was
researching the possibility of
doing a Master's in Law, I tried
to obtain some info from Bristol
University. They failed to
reply to my requests despite
several attempts. I noticed
John's name on the faculty list
and emailed him apologetically
citing the "old school
tie" and tenuous friendship
(through my parents). I
received a full reply with the
info I needed and a friendly
message almost by return....My
sincere condolences to his family
and friends. [Sue Kay] |
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I join
others in expressing sadness on
hearing of 'Parky's' death and
add to the expressions of
sympathy to his family.
My first recollection of him is
from the Autumn of 1966, the
start of our first year. He was a
stalwart of the games afternoon
football left-overs. A whole
season ever-present. He had the
skinniest of untested white legs
and impressively knobbly knees.
He wore his crisply-ironed red
Lambda shirt with pride and I'm
sure he never allowed it to be
muddied or crumpled.
Whereas I felt humiliated to be
there he seemed to revel with
pride in the success of avoiding
all that awfully silly rough
stuff. He was happy to chat about
nonsense and always had that
giggly smile about his face.
He and I could not be described
as friends but were never
unfriendly as we all passed up
through the years at PGS.
His intellect was tangible but he
was always modest and unassuming.
The sense of humour was similarly
impossible not to notice. I
cannot remember him ever
appearing unhappy.
Some may remember the 'Irish
Space Program' article he
co-wrote for the Prescotian. I
though it had been written with
Allan Jolley but Allan corrected
me a while ago. It was created
with John Rigby. The humour was
silly farce and no holds barred.
I, with others, went through a
spell of putting paper and
magazine cuttings up in room 19
during the Upper VIth. They were
annotated to refer to lads in the
year. They were meant as fun but
some took offence and pulled them
down. One was a colour photo of
the Law Lords outside Westminster
in full regalia. I'd written
'Parky' with an arrow pointing at
one of them.
He just laughed when he saw it.
Seems I wasn't far out in the
prediction.
Clearly as a respected academic
lawyer he is a great loss to the
nation. More importantly he will
be a greater loss to his family
and friends. [Glyn
Phillips] |
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I was
shocked to hear of another
tragedy in our ranks as it has
yet again abruptly reminded one
of the fragility of life and how
quickly our lives pass.
In school John seemed never to be
one who craved the popularity of
others and was always extremely
modest. Nevertheless, many of us
including myself often looked up
at John and his academic ability
with some awe, and accordingly,
despite his unassuming character,
he generated a great deal of
respect. I do not once remember
John being bothered by any of the
more ‘ebullient’
characters of the day.
I had the great fortune to meet
up with John again some 10 years
ago at a surprise 40th birthday
party for Ronald Padmore, where
Ronald’s wife Anne had
‘rounded up’ several
old school mates to join the
celebration. I was most impressed
by John as an ‘adult’
and how he had developed such a
wonderful sense of humour. It was
a most entertaining experience
that I shall never forget, as
John the shy retiring schoolboy
had been replaced by a confident
and witty adult who held the
attention of all who were
present.
I should like to express my
sympathies to all who were close
to John and had the pleasure and
opportunity to know him much
better than myself. [Peter
Smith] |
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