I am writing to report the sad news of the death of my father Charles Clore. He died as a result of the coronavirus at the early peak of the pandemic, on April 2 2020. He was well known amongst the Old Bradfieldians from his era. He loved Bradfield. He played football for the Old Bradfieldians for many years after he left and regularly attended Bradfield and Old Bradfieldian events. He was a well known member of Tempus Fugit and would regularly attend the lunches, particularly at the Boot and Flogger pub in London. He would often tell me about the famous old boys that he met up with over the years, such as Ronnie Groves, Roy Warnford-Davis, Bryan Whalley, George Burne and Peter Slot. He was very close to his cousin, John Bodie (C 44-48), who tells me that, apart from family, my father’s three great loves were Arsenal, Bradfield and Bigshotte (his prep school). It is to my great regret that, due to illness on the day, he could not attend the OB London Lunch in 2019, where he was to sit next to the Headmaster. He had already booked to attend the 2020 lunch.
My father particularly loved History, English and sport, and would often talk about playing for the 1st XI in 1952. He was well known as an astute, skilful and hard-working wing half. His older brother Martin also attended Bradfield and I have often been told that the 1951 team that he played in was excellent and that Martin was well known as a very fast winger. Martin appeared in the 1949 production of Agamemnon, and my father would often quote lines that he chanted in the play.
He would often reminisce about his revered Headmaster, John Hills, and his Housemaster, Christopher Burton-Brown. He recalled the visit of Field- Marshal Montgomery to Bradfield in 1948. He would do an impression of his art teacher Val Liddell complimenting him on drawing a “very good fish”, when my father had drawn a horse. He also spoke with reverence of his History teacher, John Moulsdale. In later life, Dad would visit Moulsdale at his care home in Birchington on Sea. I remember going with him in 1981.
I went to Bradfield in 1976 and three of the teachers that taught my dad were still there: Murray Argyle, Basil Johnson and Reverend John Swinbank. I recall going with my dad to meet Swinbank, before I started at Bradfield, on a hot summer’s day in 1976 on New Ground, where we watched cricket.
My Housemaster Michael Parkinson (H 47-52) was a friend and contemporary of my father. Michael has written to me to say that my father “was the kindest, sweetest person I have ever known. His self-deprecating sense of humour reflected his modesty. He loved his football. By no means a fast and agile player, he had something special: a football brain.”
He passed away one week after his 60th wedding anniversary. The accompanying photo is of him with my mother, Sheila, at the Greek Play in 2014. In addition to his love for me and my sisters, Amanda and Lucy, his great pride and joy was the time he spent with his grandchildren Max and Tahlia.
He was a true Bradfield man, a gentle, sweet, humorous and knowledgeable father and grandfather, and loving husband to Sheila. He will be sorely missed.
Jonathan Clore (H 76-81)
