Iain Hardcastle (1943-1947)
Died on 1st September 2022, aged 91
The passing of Iain Hardcastle severs another link with the ‘golden days’ of 1950s and 60s Durrants, of Stephenson’s Rockets and Ascot’s Fourth, of brother Ditch and Dick Lewis’ Smoking Concerts, to say nothing of Peter Ashford, John Cherry, Nick Foley and Tony Wright, each of whom has given me priceless help. I am privileged to be able to review Iain’s life with the aid of those few remaining from his Durrants’ Days, together with Iain’s many friends from the Pembrokeshire years, and, Elizabeth and the family. I am certain that there will be other more eloquent and entertaining recollections subsequent to this obituary: Nick Foley’s Thames Tour anecdote, Tony Wright’s reflections and John Cherry reminiscences (Spring 2022 News Sheet) will be followed by many more.
This is a story of a quite extraordinary life whose origins lie deep in the 18th Century. Iain’s Great Grandfather, Edward Proux, born in 1780, was a member of the Royal Household based at Osborne Isle of Wight; his grandfather, Richard Hardcastle, born in 1883 was in the Royal Artillery based in India at the time of the Mutiny (1857-9), his father Beevor de Vic Hardcastle, born in 1882 met Iain’s mother Morna while he was recovering from 1st World War wounds in the Hendon Hall Hotel. Beevor became a successful accountant in the City and founder member of Moor Park Golf Club, living at Arreton, 35 Kewferry Road, Northwood where on November 4th 1930 Iain was born, a younger brother to Vic, Berry and Ditch.
Northwood Prep (Terry’s) duly followed in 1937. Then, with mother Morna particularly nervous about war damage and destruction south of the Thames, rather than follow his elder brother to Tonbridge, Iain joined Ditch (Richard Geoffrey MTS ‘41-’44) at MTS and the Manor (Morna was determined that he should board!) in 1943. There followed 4 years of sporting enjoyment and a sound education without academic pretension, before taking up an apprenticeship with the catering Company John Lyon & Co at their Cumberland Hotel, Hyde Park Corner. John Lyon & Co operated a vast number (some 700) of related catering businesses. It was owned by the Salmon and Gluckstein families, some of whom had been Beevor’s colleagues in the 1st World War trenches, hence Iain’s first step into a world which was to absorb him for the rest of his life.
National Service in the Royal Navy came next. This was largely spent in a submarine base in Portsmouth but also included a trip to Japan on aircraft carrier HMS Ocean. Iain remained in the Naval Reserve until 1979 reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander and receiving the Volunteer Reserve Decoration. In 1950, Iain returned to John Lyon where he worked for the next 18 years – at the Cumberland where he entertained Royalty at the time of the Coronation; as manager of the Regent Palace Piccadilly and later, via Town & County Catering managing Wimbledon catering and Buckingham Palace Garden parties – maintaining a long-standing family tradition started by Great Grandfather Edward Proux!
These were Iain’s Durrants’ years; a time when his catering and management skills aligned to brother Ditch’s musical accomplishment made for extraordinary entertainment – with a famous swansong in 1983. It was an era of OMT sport like no other, when extra B XVs and Stephenson’s Rockets flourished, there were cricket X1s unlimited, and both the West Country Rugby and Thames Tour Cricket were in their heyday. Incidentally, this was also a time when MTS parents were advised that their sons should on no account ever visit Durrants, a den of every kind of iniquity! They were great years for the Hardcastles! During much of the time, Iain was living a bachelor existence anywhere from Hyde Park Mansions to a houseboat near Durrants, Chelsea Park Gardens and Glebe Place where he was joined in a quasi-Bohemian quarter by Ricardo, a Spanish artist, one of Iain’s many friends from Ibiza – reputedly the brother of the Bishop of Ibiza’s mistress!!
Iain would probably say that this relaxed lifestyle was about to change and not simply because a ‘knee’ brought a premature end to his rugby career; Elizabeth might disagree! In 1968, having recently moved from John Lyon to become Southwest Regional Manager of Sutcliffe Catering (Iain was later to be the West of England Director of this prestigious company, today known as Compass Food Services Ltd.), Iain was on holiday in his beloved Ibiza with OMTs Michael Bates, Guy Broughton’s widow, Pauline, the only lady in the group, and Roger Southcombe, when he encountered Elizabeth Berian Thomas together with nursing friends on a similar jaunt. Iain and Elizabeth were married in Llanilar, Cardiganshire in July 1969. Elizabeth was the daughter of a West Wales doctor and hence began Iain’s connection with the Principality which was to last a lifetime. Elizabeth also has memories of Durrants – a woman trespassing into Breakfast after an overnight stay, complete with baby girl Katie, who had spent the night in a chest of drawers; she was also instrumental in drawing to a close Iain’s longstanding connection with the Easter Rugby tour following an episode in 1972, better left undisclosed, which involved a very poorly wife who had recently given birth to Sophie, a Bristol hospital and a pub in Shepton Mallett!
By this time the family was living in Almondsbury near Bristol before a move in 1973 to Coley in Gloucestershire. But ill health saw Iain retire from Sutcliffe in 1977 and the family returned to Elizabeth’s Welsh roots, moving to Cosheston, Pembrokeshire where Chestnut House became a successful B&B. However, Iain was far from ready to retire, and restored to good health, the maverick in him applied for the position of Catering Officer in the Sultan of Oman’s Royal Air Force based on Masirah Island. That he was offered the job came as a surprise but resulted in 10 years of commuting to the Middle East, sometimes with Elizabeth, who herself has many reminiscences of an extraordinary period. Retirement from the Sultan’s Air Force came in 1988 and by this time the family home had moved to Main Street Pembroke where the Grapevine Wine Bar was flourishing.
Now began that period of Iain’s life best known to many fellow OMTs. For in 1989, together with Clive Huxley and supported by Fred Huskisson, Iain pioneered the OMT Welsh Weekend – originally as a Friday evening Dinner at one of several Pembrokeshire hostelries followed by light recreation on Saturday. With Iain to the fore, the Weekend became a highlight of the OMT calendar, and he remains an inspiration for its continued popularity. Peter Ashford, (who began at MTS in 1939!) gives his own personal tribute: “we had the pleasure of enjoying the Welsh Weekend which Iain organised at the outset with Clive Huxley and after Clive’s passing in 1993. Iain managed it on his own before handing over to Jeff Pearson in 2010. It was very successful in part due to Iain’s capable management and Iain’s knowledge of food and drink. We also had the pleasure of OMT visits to Upton Castle owned by his friends, Reverend John and Joy Skelton where we played croquet on the lawn. Iain was very popular and attracted a large number of his old OMT friends”. I would echo Peter’s words and vividly recall the time when ladies were first invited to the Dinner (hitherto they had dined separately) – nobody broke taboos better than Iain.
Nor was there a stronger supporter of HM Armed Forces, dating back to his National Service days in the Navy. It was no surprise that from 1990 to 2006 Iain was the volunteer Regional Welfare Support Manager for the Soldiers, Sailors. Airmen and Families Association (SSAF). During this time Iain and Elizabeth made their final move to the delightful Schoolroom Cottage, Upper Nash. Iain became Treasurer of Nash Church and Elizabeth a JP sitting on the local bench. Equally, in keeping with a lifetime of exploration and change, in 2011 Iain and Elizabeth purchased a second home in Montmorillon, France (near to daughter Sophie), where they lived for 3 months of the year until 2020 – and stocked up the Schoolroom cellar! By this time Iain was the proud grandfather of Thomas, Henry, and Valentin.
To the very end, Iain remained larger than life. It was the greatest pleasure to see him enjoying the 2021 OMT Welsh Weekend lunch in company with his fellow Centre, John Cherry. The tireless, indefatigable and wonderfully caring Elizabeth saw Iain through the final difficult months until his passing – perfectly timed just before our Dinner – where we raised a glass to our founder and inspiration. Iain touched the lives of so many with his felicitous, magnanimous ‘spirit of the ages’.
A host of tributes will follow. Nick Foley adds his own thus: “Iain was a remarkable leader, always in a discreet and charming manner; all OMTs owe him a great debt for his vision, expertise and friendship”.
I close with Peter Ashford’s apt summary; “Iain was generous and kindly. He will be greatly missed”.
Iain’s spirit will live on wherever there are OMTs.
Christopher Hirst (1958-1965)
Fond Memories of Iain Hardcastle
We first encountered one another properly, and hilariously, on the Thames Tour of 1952. Some of us had collected skiffs from Oxford and rowed them down the River Thames to Clifton Hampden where there was space for mooring, and for tents on the grassy bank.
Cricket was to be played against the local side on a field near the further bank. It was an interesting pitch on a track cut on a track in the middle of a field of thick 8” grass. With superior local knowledge, the home side won and we were introduced hospitably to the picturesque Barley Mow on the moorings side of the river.
Iain did not appear until the following evening by which time Wallingford had beaten us: local knowledge again, and, anyway, they were much the better side. We repaired to the George Inn in Wallingford town. Iain was certainly there by then and joined the teams in the odd glass or two or two. Returning to the boats, still at Clifton Hampden, it was necessary to pass the roadworks on Wallingford bridge, whereafter Iain was seen to have come into possession of a bright oil lamp. In the course of lively discussion on the bankside, the lamp fell into the river and could be seen glowing on the river bottom.
Gus Gardner, an action man, dressed in a smart suit and bowler hat for his new job, lit a cigarette and lent down casually to reach the still glowing lamp. It was a little deeper than it first appeared. With support from a bystander (name withheld in decency), Gus lent out further until the bystander recognising the inevitable, allowed him to disappear gracefully below the surface. The bowler hat re-appeared first, then the cigarette, then the bedraggled Gardner.
To meet the ongoing challenge, Philip Housden emerged resourcefully in bathing trunks, and Hardcastle put out in a skiff. Iain, a naval man, was self-confident and the man of the moment. He knew about boats. The stream, though, was strong and he needed an oar, but there was one only. The boat spiralled in a fascinating steady circular motion midstream until eventually rescued by the attendant Housden. The oil lamp had to be abandoned. It may still be there. If discovered, it should be returned to Wallingford local county council.
The naval prowess of Iain was needed once again years later. By then the skiffs had been replaced by a river cruiser with Hardcastle a natural leader, who knew about boats, assuming responsibility. The bridge was OK but some of the superstructure of the cruiser was not up to the task of a rising river level and was left behind. Iain Hardcastle took it as normal, his self-confidence undented.
Nick Foley (1944-1949)
I recall first meeting Iain at Durrants in the early 1960’s. He was a fellow member of OMTFC and a regular in Derek Stephenson’s “Rockets” XV – once being described in Derek’s OMT News Sheet report as a “splendid eccentric fellow”. He was always such entertaining and excellent company.
Some years later he displayed his musical talents as the singer with “Ditch Hardcastle & Friends” – an OMT jazz group founded by his brother, a superb piano player. I treasure the CD of their performances in 1983 at a Durrants “Smoking Concert” and an OMT Day concert at the School.
After Iain and Elizabeth moved to Wales they became involved for some years in organising the increasingly popular Pembrokeshire Dinner and Weekends. Iain’s contributions to the OMT Society were recognised by his election as a Vice President in 1996.
In most recent years it was a pleasure to see him and Elizabeth as visitors at the Pembrokeshire Weekends now arranged so well by Chris and Sara Hirst – he will be so well remembered.
Tony Wright (1950-1957)