Rhubarb 2020

ST EDWARD’S r h u b a r b

with Zanussi and chaired the Kingston Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Norman also chaired and supported the charity The London Federation of Boys’ Clubs.  Latterly in 1982-1992 he became a radio broadcaster, working with County Sound Radio in Guildford, delivering consumer advice and completing a total of 1,000 broadcasts.  Norman never lost his love for sport which he developed at St Edward’s. Strangely, though, when he retired, he gave up regular golf to play squash, and played the champion Hashim Khan in a veteran competition which, of course, he lost with good grace! As a MCC member, Norman often attended matches at Lord’s Cricket Ground which were accompanied by gourmet picnics.  For his final years, Norman, moved down to Eastbourne to be nearer his family. He was a lucky man who was greatly loved and cared for in his final days by a very supportive local network of close family, friends and carers. He leaves a wonderful legacy: three daughters, nine grandchildren and, so far, six great grandchildren. Using a cricket analogy, he was heard saying to a friend a couple of weeks before he passed away: ‘Yes, I’m 95 and still not out!’  POINTER, GRAHAM (1925-2020) On 5th May 2020, Graham Norman Pointer (D, 1939-1943). 1st VIII, 1st XV. Trinity College Oxford 1943-44. Oxford University Boat Club 1944 and member of the winning Oxford crew in the 1944 wartime Boat Race. Royal Air Force 1944-47, Flying Officer. Director William Pointer Ltd 1947-67, Freelance

BURTT, NORMAN (1924-2019) On 15th December 2019, Norman Clifford Burtt (E, 1939-1943). Teddies and spent four wonderful years there, blighted only by the outbreak of WW2. He often spoke of his school life during the war years as exciting, with blackouts, air raid shelters in the Quad, food rationing and fire watching. In 1943 Norman joined the RAF becoming a Volunteer Pilot Navigator in the Bombing Scheme. After his initial Tiger Moth training, Norman was sent off on his first solo flight, after just six hours. He later enlisted with the Rifle Brigade. In 1948, Norman secured a post working with Lever Brothers and married Dot, who was an architect. Norman and Dot had three daughters and lived in Kent.  Norman moved to London to work in Unilever’s Public Relations department and was promoted to the position of Head of Information Services at Lever Brothers. In 1970 he was placed on the BSI panel and he then worked as a member of the HLCC (Home Laundry Consultative Committee), where he was instrumental in the decision to make it common practice to sew washing instructions into clothing. He also worked freelance, as a consultant In 1939 Norman attended

O B I T U A R I E S

Martin Trend

TREND, MARTIN (1924-2019) On 3rd August 2019, aged 94, Martin Theophilus Deane Trend (A, 1938-1941). Brother of (Edward) Oliver (A, 1936-1940) and Andrew (A, 1948-1951) and nephew of JMD (Jack) Gauntlett (Common Room 1924-1964). The obituary below was kindly provided by his family. Martin was a steady but unspectacular student who, after a brief encounter with the wartime RAF, spent his early working years farming. In 1955 he took his wife, Jean, and two young children to Australia in search of sunshine and opportunities, initially agricultural and then as a life insurance consultant. His practical and design skills as a craftsman and as an artist flourished in his hobby of turning (on a lathe) the hard, conical roots of Western Australian grass trees into bowls, lamp bases and urns. Botanically, the grass tree is Xanthorrhoea preissii. He experimented with different finishes ranging from beeswax to industrial lacquers and by 1975 had made his hobby his livelihood. ‘Martin Trend’ creations had aesthetics of shape and design and a quality of finish that set him apart from other

producers and ensured steady sales to visitors and residents alike. The Premier of Western Australia used his pieces as gifts for visiting dignitaries, among whom were the Queen and Prince Phillip. At one stage, Harrods sought him as a supplier, but he preferred to stay local. He was happiest in his workshop, enjoying the scenery around Albany and further afield, driving, travelling, golfing and photographing wildflowers and birds. The family grew to include three daughters born in Australia, 10 grandchildren and then 10 great grandchildren. Most meetings with any family members began with an enquiry as to whether they had been behaving themselves and he was always a little disappointed when the reply was “Yes, of course”. Martin’s mischievous sense of fun, evident in childhood and school photographs, diminished only when, after 67 years together, Jean died, leaving wonderful memories shared across the family. His work extended from the lathe and Xanthorrhoea to copper and other metals and examples remain both with those fortunate enough to possess a bowl or a lamp base and in the foyer and nave of St John’s Church in Albany.

Norman Burtt

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