Peter J Watkins (1958-1966)
Died 24th May 2021, aged 73
Peter played as Number 8 in the amazingly successful under 14 rugby team for 1959/60. As it happens, the recently lamented Tufty Hawes was tight head prop and I was loose head.
Peter was known as “Will” for unrecorded reasons: possibly after a cartoon character, Willy Watkins. His mother would moan and query why we called him Will when his proper name was Peter.
Peter joined the Young Conservatives with me, where he met a nice girl called Julia. Later, before he went up to Cambridge, he asked me to look after her during his first term away. I did: for the next 45 years. He was very good about it. He was instrumental in causing my happy marriage, for which I was always very grateful.
He and I had a camping holiday in Scotland in about 1966. We borrowed my mother’s Austin and his friend’s tent. Very memorable because we were eaten to death by English-hating midges.
Later, many a happy evening playing Canasta, first to a million points: we never reached the target but Peter was well ahead when we stopped.
Peter sported a dashing duelling scar down his cheek from under his left eye. Actually, he had crashed his car but never bothered with the plastic surgery.
In later life he was a candidate for election to Watford Borough Council (unsuccessful), a Mastermind finalist, and also an accomplished snooker player.
We remained friends seeing each other regularly since school. A really first class chap. Very sad that he has gone.
John Price (Piko)