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David Newell Allen (S51-56)

When

4 August 2025
Where

York
Age

88

Tim Allen (S54-63) writes : I am very sorry to say that my brother, David Allen, died at the age of 88 on 4 August 2025. He attended the school 1951-1956 and was in Stradbroke house. I understand he was a member of the SOF, as he had SOF correspondence and magazines. He lived in York and his funeral was held in St Olave’s Church, York on 28 August 2025.

The following isthe tribute read out by Tim at his funeral :

David Newell Allen was the oldest child of Frank and Frances Allen. They lived in Quarndon near Derby. Frank was an engineer with Rolls-Royce and Frances was a nurse.

David was born in Derby on 15 July 1937. Later siblings were Rosemary and me. When David went to school he proved to be a very disruptive child, such as when sent to stand in the corner he decided to remove the wall paper. Many years later we in the family realised that he had a mild undiagnosed autistic condition. Autism was unlikely to be recognised during David’s early years. Like many autistic people, he was very intelligent, but viewed the world differently to others, yet had a brilliant clarity of thought for things others didn’t see.

At age 8 he went to King’s college prep school, Cambridge. David was of course disruptive, but even then he was able to separate the Headmaster’s punishments from appreciation for the head’s genuine concern for his pupils. David’s capacity for lifelong friendships began at Kings. He became deeply interested in music, and developed his passion for the music of J S Bach. Only a month ago he was recalling to me the exact date and circumstances when (still at Kings) he first heard the Bach Mass in B minor. He always had a prodigious memory. He became a good pianist and organist, and sang in choirs. Another developing passion was steam railways.

His next school was Framlingham college in Suffolk. Naturally David indulged in eccentric activities; at least once he hitch-hiked to Cambridge and back on a Sunday so that he could attend evensong in King’s College chapel.

David enjoyed making things – marmalade until very recently. He started winemaking at home in Derby. His first brew was elderberry wine. He did not get the technique quite right. My mother came home one day to discover that the ceiling of the kitchen was a rich dark purple.

In 1956 National Service was still in operation, and David was conscripted. He chose to go to the Intelligence Corps, and went to Hong Kong. On the voyage out he helped some illiterate soldiers by reading out and writing letters for them. In Hong Kong he could use his ability to see through pomposity and verbiage to underlying deceptions, scheming and falsehoods. He saw lots wrong with his unit of the Intelligence Corps, and he duly parted from them to join the Lincolnshire Regiment on active service in Malaya. They were in the jungle fighting communist rebels. What gave him most pleasure was coaching other National Servicemen for civilian careers. He was always gentle and he was very proud that he never fired his rifle in action (though he had qualified as a marksman). He felt shame to be described as an active service veteran, when in his view his service had been nothing like as nasty and dangerous as those who had served eg in the trenches in WW1. When he left the army he was given a testimonial that said he was ‘a quiet and likeable man, with above average intelligence. He has worked hard and proved himself a willing member of his platoon. He is exceptionally well behaved’. Some change from his first school!

After National Service, David went up to St Johns College Durham to read for a Durham General Arts degree. He soon found St Johns, an evangelical college, did not suit him at all, and he disagreed with their theological views. He left Durham for Wells theological college. He survived the initiation there whereby senior students took the freshers to a pub where local rough cider was on tap and the typical fresher thought it was no stronger than beer. He passed the General Ordination exam in 1965.

He was ordained deacon in Bradford Cathedral, and went to a parish in Bradford. He soon found that the vicar had different and incompatible ways to his own and that was the end of parish work for him in England, I believe to his lasting regret. However, he retained the strong thread that ran throughout his life of his faith, his spirituality, a deep and contemplative regard for the meaning of life and of God.

He attached himself loosely to Derby Cathedral. He admired the organist, George Heath-Gracie. He did some pastoral work for the cathedral, particularly in hospitals.

David obtained a teaching qualification, and taught at some schools for a few years. One such was the Red House prep school near here. The Marygate car park over the road was the site of one of David’s memorable feats. He borrowed a Morris Minor from someone at Red House to come into York. He parked across the way. When he finished in York, he went back to the car park, unlocked the Minor, started up and went back to Red House. When there he realised the car was not the one he had borrowed, and that he had inadvertently stolen someone’s car.

In the early 70s David decided to go to North America. He got himself a working passage in a fishing boat to Newfoundland. He was commissioned by the Archbishop of Newfoundland to do parish work there. He enjoyed being in Newfoundland, but left to take up a place reading theology at the university of Manchester in 1976.

David had a good relationship with his Professor, Richard Hanson, and had 3 enjoyable years at Manchester, where he made some enduring friends. He graduated with a BA in theology in 1979.

Canada beckoned him again. He received an invitation through contacts to go to North Labrador to work as a Moravian missionary at Nain. He enjoyed his work there and developed a deep interest in Labrador and the work there of the naturalist and botanist Sir Joseph Banks. Years later he could be found in the library of the Royal Society researching Bank’s papers. Whilst at Nain the local Inuit showed David how to build an igloo. Later further south in Labrador he, from temperate Derby, taught town-dwelling Inuit this skill.

A typical David event occurred when he had finished in Labrador. He decided to visit an Anglican foundation in the USA, and his mode of transport was a bicycle. Somewhere in Maine, at night in the pouring rain, one of his tyres was punctured. Whilst he was struggling with this, a car drew up. It was a British Hillman car of the same type our parents had. The female American driver offered help, and the bicycle was put on the car and they went to her home. She offered him accommodation, and they formed an enduring friendship.

In 1996 David moved to the house in York where he lived until his death. He had a wide network of long term friends, whom he visited on an annual peregrination. He built a library of serious historical, spiritual, religious and philosophical – and railway – books. He loved the work of CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and TS Eliot. He had some fiction (Hardy and Trollope|) and all the novels of Dostoevsky, naturally along with the commentary by his friend Rowan Williams. He was deeply interested in Orthodoxy, and belonged to the Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius. He had a good sense of humour and was wary of serious pontification. Once he read out to me a passage from a civil war book saying that when Cromwell and the Puritans took power, a wave of seriousness swept across England. He looked up and said ‘Oh no’. He maintained interest in the modern world, read the Guardian and the New Statesman, though any view he expressed would go back for origins at least 100 years. Surprisingly, he was able to discuss lady’s fashion with niece Daisy. He was a keen reader of the Resurgence and Ecologist magazine. He recently expressed interest in going on a course run by the neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist. He gave money regularly to Crisis for homelessness and to cancer research. I saw that when he went to a supermarket he always contributed to the food bank. He loved family, particularly his nephew Alexander and Daisy. When they were young they loved pulling his beard and playing with him and his giant shoes. Recently he got his own back by pulling Alexander’s beard. He was very interested in people and always asked about them and their families. He was always kind. In the last few years we visited as much as we could. Last year he broke his hip, and never properly recovered. Last Christmas, Daisy and I were able to take him out to Bettys, where at his request they gave him an item from their summer menu – an ice cream sundae. There were more frequent visits to hospital, and each time we noticed a reduction in his physical condition. The end came peacefully on the 4^th of August. David was very special and much loved; he will be greatly missed and long remembered.

David Newell Allen (S51-56)

The following isthe tribute read out by Tim at his funeral :

David Newell Allen was the oldest child of Frank and Frances Allen. They lived in Quarndon near Derby. Frank was an engineer with Rolls-Royce and Frances was a nurse.

He attached himself loosely to Derby Cathedral. He admired the organist, George Heath-Gracie. He did some pastoral work for the cathedral, particularly in hospitals.

David had a good relationship with his Professor, Richard Hanson, and had 3 enjoyable years at Manchester, where he made some enduring friends. He graduated with a BA in theology in 1979.

Deaths

Ian Marsden (S48-51)

When

13 August 2025
Where

Queen Alexandra Hospital, Southampton
Age

90

We have been advised that Ian died of sepsis with associated pneumonia after a short illness, on Wednesday 13th August 2025 at QA Hospital Southampton. No other details known.

Deaths

Nicholas Charles Carlton MM (G63-70)

When

11 August 2025
Where

Mandurah, Western Australia
Age

72
Story

Nick Carlton was a Captain with Princess cruises. His obituary was spotted in the Daily Telegraph on 11 August 2025 stating the following : CARLTON – Nicholas Charles, Captain Nick Carlton, died on 11th July 2025 in Mandurah, Western Australia, aged 72. He leaves a son James.

His funeral was at 2:00pm on Thursday 31 July 2025 at Bowra & O’Dea Mandurah Chapel, 460 Pinjarra Road, Greenfields, Western Australia.

He features in Distinguished for saving a life “In 33 years at sea Captain Nick Carlton has never heard the cry “man overboard”, until August 2003. At the time he was Captain of the P&O liner Pacific Sky. When the shout was made he immediately turned the ship around and headed back to search. After nearly 3 hours of searching in 25 knot winds and rough seas, the man was remarkably found and brought back on board.”

Deaths

Michael Alister Geddes (S51-55)

When

1 July 2025
Where

Hemel Hempstead, Herts
Age

87

His daughter Alison has advised us that Mike died on 1st July 2025 at the age of 87. His funeral was on 25th July 2025 at 12,30pm at Hemel Hempstead Crematorium. The following is her eulogy :

He was born on 21^st August 1937 in Northwood, Middlesex as an only child. He attended Framlingham College from January 1951 – July 1955 where he met 2 life long friends, Roger Gibbard (R51-55) & John Hanney (R50-55), so almost 75 years of friendship.

He did National service for 2 years where he was stationed in Cyprus among other places, which he loved.

He had various jobs throughout his life starting off in the post room and working his way up the ladder to Managing Director in a number of different companies. He also ran a successful catering business with his wife Jenny so many weekends were taken up with weddings, funerals and parties. They also ran Little Hay Golf Club for a couple of years.

Mum & dad met in 1959 at Ostend and then married on 17 March 1962. We were very fortunate to have such loving kind and caring parents who worked hard all their lives to provide a wonderful home filled with very happy memories. If only we could turn the clock back.

After mum passed away dad was bereft and lonely but then one of dad’s old work colleagues got in touch and they later went on to marry in July 2009. Dad finally had some happiness back in his life and embraced Sandra’s children, Roger & Kerry, and the grandchildren, as Sandra embraced Alison, Sarah & Rachel.

Dad was the life and soul of the party, he did love a party! Always living life to the full and enjoyed having time with Ian and Phil over a pint of beer and talking about cars! We used to travel miles, on weekends away, just so dad could try a beer, from his ‘Good Beer Guide’ that he hadn’t tried before, he made notes on every beer he tasted and marked them out of 5. Dad also loved a bbq, he even had his own chefs hat, however as soon as Ian or Phil arrived the cooking duties were passed to them, which probably wasn’t a bad thing!

Dad loved family get togethers of any kind, Christmas, birthdays, easter, any excuse for a drink and good food. He used to enjoy his games of Monopoly with Rachel, which would go on for a few hours, Rachel usually won!

Dad was also very involved in charity clubs and was a much loved member of Round Table, 41 Club, Rotary and Probus, all of which he served with dedication and commitment.

Unfortunately dad had a very difficult last 10 years, battling various illnesses & difficulties especially in the last year. It was sad and unfair to see our lovely dad, who embraced life so much, suffer and decline so drastically. Dad was always thoughtful and wise and had a gorgeous smile that lit up the room. Everyone who knew dad loved him and many of you have referred to dad as ‘a lovely old school gentleman’

We would like to thank the wonderful team at Water Mill House Care Home that looked after dad in his final months with such care, tenderness, dedication and love. Dad thought the world of everyone there and always, no matter what, would give his little cheeky smile and say thank you.

It is time for you to rest now dad, out of pain and hopefully having a nice gin & tonic with mum and all your other relatives and friends that will be waiting for you with open arms.

We will of course be having a toast in your memory later, no we didn’t forget to order the Timothy Taylors!

We will miss you always but you will forever be in all our hearts.

            The past is history
            The future is a mystery
            This moment is a gift
            Which is why it is called the present

Thank you, from all of us, for all our beautiful memories that you made so special. Sleep tight.