John Bampfield (1932-2011) - An Appreciation

24th October, 2011

John, with his wife Sheila and their two younger sons Andrew and James, arrived at Packwood in 1968 - their eldest son Richard having joined the school as a boarder in the previous year. John had just retired from his army career as a Major in the Royal Artillery, and he and his family moved into Packwood House, overlooking the playing fields.

At first, John was appointed as a teacher of Geography and Junior Maths and also as a games coach, having himself played a number of sports to a good standard. He coached the first XI cricket, the Under 11 rugby, some football and a good deal of squash - the latter in two splendid courts given to the school by a grateful parent. He also involved himself in a multitude of school activities and ran a very popular stamp club for many years.

Little by little, John spent less time in the classroom and more time working on the grounds and helping with the administration of the growing school. He continued to coach, referee and umpire many teams; but he also spent countless hours cutting wickets, marking boundaries, and helping to keep the grounds looking magnificent. He would often be up early in the morning to prepare pitches, and in summer one of his first jobs would be to rescue hedgehogs entangled in the tennis netting! When the school purchased the farm and extended the playing fields and buildings, John was amongst those who worked incredibly hard to achieve a huge step forward in the size and facilities of the school.

There are many anecdotes about John's time at Packwood, including the time, well into his fifties, when he broke his collarbone while playing in goal for the staff football team against the first XI; and the time when he was taking rugger on the bottom field and the ball was kicked into the fast-flowing River Perry. Undaunted, John stripped to his underwear and plunged into the river, just in time to prevent the loss of a valuable rugger ball!

John was well-known and well-liked by the parents. He would always be about at the beginning and end of term, meeting and greeting parents and their children. He organised the collection of newspapers for recycling, which raised a considerable amount of money for the school; and when he became the school's first Bursar, one of his favourite activities was organising an annual outing for the domestic staff.

John was always a reliable and hardworking member of staff, and was greatly missed when he retired as Bursar in 1992; but he remained in regular touch with the school and was, for many years, the secretary of the Barker Memorial and Pease-Watkin Bursary Trusts.