John Gordon Hamlin died peacefully on 9th October in the Cumberland Infirmary from complications following a fall — the end of a wonderful life of enjoyment and deep commitment to all and to everything he undertook.
He possessed a strong sense of duty, putting his responsibility to others above all else and determination to achieve the best possible outcome for all in his care. He never stinted himself and as one friend said, “remained a young man all his life”, but it was his warm, spontaneous smile which was the hallmark of his approach to life, lighting up a gathering when he entered.
John was born in Cardiff to the Reverend Gordon Hamlin and his wife Bessie who was a teacher of French.He was the eldest of three children. When the bombing of Cardiff became severe, they moved to Minehead in Somerset where his father took on a new ministry. There he learned his love of the outdoors, walking and playing in the woods and on the beach. He already showed a spirit of adventure and independence at a young age.
As John neared secondary school age, his father decided to move to Birmingham where the education opportunities were better. It was a difficult move at that time at the end of the war, but he loved being in a city and spent his Saturday penny travelling for the whole morning on various tram routes around Birmingham and by the end knew the city like the back of his hand.
His success began by winning a scholarship to King Edward’s School in Edgbaston — a school which he loved and to which he later returned in his first teaching post. He was heartbroken when, after two years, his father moved to Bristol for health reasons and John transferred to Bristol Grammar School. To the end of his career, he remained sympathetic to any pupil who had to change schools, and kept his eye on them.
He found his solace in scouting and was able to indulge his sense of adventure, map reading and discovery, becoming a Queen’s Scout. He also loved cycling and as a teenager cycled several times from Bristol to Cornwall to visit relatives. But he flourished at Bristol Grammar School, inspired particularly by the chemistry master and was awarded a postmastership at Merton College, Oxford.
Before going up to Oxford he completed his national service in the RAF and was awarded the Sword of Honour at the Passing Out Parade. This was on the Isle of Man in winter where he said that he had never been so cold in his life.
He delighted in his Oxford years, reading Chemistry, and gained a First Class Honours Degree but his love of the subject and desire to help others gain the same joy and delight in their chosen subjects made him determined to teach and he was a natural, showing compassion, drive, encouragement and determination.
He returned to King Edward’s, Birmingham, where scouting was a big part of his contribution to KES life. He was thrilled to attend a 50-year reunion of former scouts in 2016 and was still in contact with several to the end of his life. He ran two scout troops and took boys on numerous camps and hikes in Scotland, Wales and the Lake District, sometimes in deep snow and again letting them accomplish activities which would not be allowed today but he trusted them and although there were some hairy situations, they all survived.
In 1965 he moved to Bablake School, Coventry as head of the chemistry department and there he was renowned for the Christmas Chemical Magic Show during a lunchtime before Christmas. The boys would forego lunch and queue around the quadrangle to obtain the best possible vantage places when the doors opened and then pack into the lab (wouldn’t be allowed these days) to watch wondrous chemical events.
In 1967 he married Marion who was a graduate in German from Birmingham University and they set up home in Coventry at the beginning of a wonderful 57-year long marriage.
John’s opportunity for headship came when he was appointed headmaster of QEGS at the age of 36 and he was excited to come to Penrith. There were many challenges, but he was determined that students should look wide and experience as much of the world as possible.
Many pupils will remember that he was always at school at exam results time, picking up the pieces, negotiating with the universities and colleges, encouraging pupils to perhaps change course or their chosen career if they hadn’t made the grade. He was here for nine years and worked closely with his chairman of governors, Frank Davidson, and the heads of Ullswater and Tynefield Schools, meeting together on a regular basis.
During the last year he was seconded by the county to introduce schools to computing and travelled the length and breadth of the county, but in 1982 he was ready for new challenges and was appointed headmaster of Reigate Grammar School in Surrey where he stayed until retirement in 1996. The school had recently become independent and his first task was to clear a huge financial debt to Surrey County Council. During those 14 years the school grew in every respect.
John and Marion lived on the site in a school house with a beautiful garden and John began to grow vegetables in a patch in the school grounds.
They had loved Penrith so much and the pace of life there and returned on retirement — a move they never regretted. In retirement, John took on an allotment and spent many hours tending it, with rows of vegetables and over 100 dahlias. They travelled widely in those years, extensively in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the Far East, with an unforgettable trip to Ethiopia as well as walking each summer in the Alps. All this sadly came to an end when John dislodged a hip replacement and then broke his femur which necessitated a stay of 14 weeks in hospital last year. He never walked again except tentatively with the use of a zimmer, but he bore his lot without complaining, until a recent fall resulted in several fractures, and he died peacefully in the Cumberland Infirmary.
He was wide in his interests, played the organ at Langwathby Church and joined a geology group led by Dr Andrew Bell. He also had a keen interest in medieval church architecture.
John and Marion welcomed many visitors to their home and revealed the beauty and treasures of the Lake District which were unknown to a number of them.
John was wise and for him, there was no second best. He asked for the highest standards from pupils and staff but asked nothing of them that he would not do himself. There are many now who will be grateful to him but above all it is that smile which we should all remember and his unstinting energy and care.
He is survived by his wife, Marion.
