He was a very lively commentator on our school days whose input we miss. Our condolences to all those he left behind.
WISBOROUGH LODGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL
left: Shaun Mather 16-8-1948 (in Wisboro’ uniform) centre
November 2002. right: with David Pennington at Chessington zoo.
Shaun on left inspects a tiger - the land of Jungle John
Shaun in Bangalore,
India, 1943
Shaun outside classroom door, WL
Julian Shaun Fawcett Mather, born in India in 1937 in the days of the British
Raj, lived there until age of 8, a world similar to that of John Budden's Jungle John. The Indians
called him 'Bhutti' when he lived there. Went to school in Bangalore in 1942.
He went to England in 1944 and remained for 10 years, half of which time I was with him as a classmate and friend at the preparatory school Wisborough Lodge, Sussex. He later went to Canford School in Dorset.t. Left Canford in
1954 and within a year left England for Australia. Three years in the army, then dairy-farming until droughts
made it too difficult. Worked for the Queensland Government and became a registered
rural and urban valuer. Married with two sons, a daughter and eight grandchildren.
Then lived amid 10 acres with his second wife Rose in the small timber town
of Blackbutt nestled in the hills, part of the Great Dividing Range, 100 kms.
NW of Brisbane, Queensland.
Shaun posted the following very interesting account in January, 2003
"I revisited W/L during the August school holidays of 1952 and stayed
with the MacDonalds for a fortnight. New extensions were done to the
main building over the changing-room area to accomodate day only pre-school
kids. I would really class it as a kindergarten. There were no boarders
and the age of the twenty or so pupils could be counted on one hand.
In all probability W/L closed down in the summer of '51, the Brook's
family left then and all others ultimately followed within weeks. The
piggery was well on its way by 1952. I often wondered how MacD ever
got a Council permit to have pigs on account of the smell emitted within
a closely settled community. Do you remember the old couple, Mr and
Mrs Churchman, who lived in the cottage opposite W/L on the main road?
Well, I don't think they would have tolerated the pong, flies and bluebottles
- eh?
Yes, uncle 'Sin' and MacD loved their guns, you bet! There was
a Jackdaw that was building it's nest on one of the chimney stacks of
the main building, Mrs MacD was doing a song and dance over it and wanted
the culprit removed. Mackie's 12 gauge was no good as it would be out
of range and would have taken the chimney pot too, to boot. Uncle 'Sin'
appears on the scene with his .22 to complete the operation. Miss Oliver
was none too pleased as she had pity for the bird which was acting as
nature intended and stood with her back to the proceedings doing her
knitting. We boys were pensive, some excited, with the intended execution.
Shot 1, a miss, the scared bird retuned with another twig. Shot 2, a
miss, the persistent jackdaw returned again with yet another twig. Shot
3 was curtains. Applause all round but none from Miss Oliver. Conservation
was some thirty-five years distant, much to our shame!
One day Uncle 'Sin' produced a .22 revolver out of
his bag and said that he could catch a bullet fired from a pistol with
his bared teeth. Impossible Sir! you'd be dead Sir! we boys exclaimed.
I'll prove it to you said Mr Brook. A volunteer to shoot at my head!
exclaimed Brook. Borrisow put up his hand. Mr Brook showed us the empty
chamber with one cartridge in place, then told Borrisow to walk back
a few paces, turn around, take at aim at Brook's head and fire. Borrisow,
a bit bewildered "Are you sure, Sir! really, really sure" then fires.
Brook throws his head back and extrudes a lead bullet between the teeth
with manipulations of the tongue. Uncle 'Sin" was the talk of the school
for weeks and a bit of a hero too. Now, would MacD have allowed such
an act to have taken place had he known in advance? I doubt it. I guess
it would, nowadays, be classed as an irresponsible act within school
boundaries. What about to-days mania for litigation - eh? A boy, under
age, handling a firearm without specific training - food for thought!
We know now, as adults, that the cartridge was a blank but back then
we thought Mr Brook was next to Superman. All this goes to show that
we now live in a totally different world. The saying "The Good Old Days"
holds true!
The school train, Victoria station it was. Schoolboys
everywhere - I was fascinated by the dress of the Blue Coat School as
they walked the station platform. All the vivid orange socks highlighting
the dowdy navy blue heavy smocks tied by a white cord. I loved Ronald
Searle's posters for Gilbey's Gin depicting St.Trinian characters. W.H.Smith
and Son Newsagency with H&E periodicals just out of reach. Oh boy, what
fun! On the train we passed the Battersea Power Station, etc. etc. and
amused ourselves by counting TV aerials, an innovation of the time,
on the rooftops of homes as the train speeded past. I think the Southern
Railway was the only railway electrified in the Country at that period.
The train was powered by an electric rail along the track, subsequently
placed overhead in later years for obvious reasons. We were at Billingshurst
within the hour and from there by rickety old coach to the Lodge.
Best wishes to you, and all. Take care! Shaun
The photo at the foot of the page of Shaun's entry to the Wisborough Green
Art Competition in 1948, where he won the first prize. Shaun comments on this
as follows:-.
"The prize was 5/- good money back then. My name in
red ink is the hand writing of Mr Brooke-Little (Count de Pazzi). If the picture
is relevant to the site, you're welcome to use it. My parents were advised
of this win by the Headmaster who subsequently arranged for me to have private
tuition by a local professional artist, Mr Harold Roberts of Romany Rye, Wisborough
Green. In 1950 I won an Art Schollarship to Canford. Headmaster was so pleased
that he gave the rest of the school a half holiday on account of it."
Shaun at home in 1998.
Our great friend and amusing correspondent Shaun died of a heart attack on 11th Feb whilst mowing the lawn. His wife and son were present at his death. He had told me of his life and times, writing "I left England for Australia on the ss Strathmore. Maybe, Bob, you being an ex MN man, have experience with the 'Strath' boats. Our ship was a beauty and the month's trip to Oz was the best holiday I've ever had, never had it's equal since. In 1957 I travelled to India on the SS Orontes, which took two weeks but no comparison to the aforesaid.
My first three years out here was in the army, a good experience overall. I went dairy-farming for a few years but gave it away due to regular droughts - Australia is a harsh land. Worked for the Queensland Government and became a registered rural and urban valuer. Married 1959, had 3 children ( 2 boys and a girl ) well and truly grown up now, their names Shane, Julian and Vanessa. Eldest boy runs his own business (diesel truck repairs), second boy works for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a cameraman and film-maker, whilst my daughter trained as a nurse qualifying as a nursing sister. All are married and have presented me with 8 grandchildren and one more to come next April."
Here is David Pennington's mail informing me how he found Shaun by a fluke:-
Oil painting of the Lady Nelson, the first ship to discover that Tasmania was separated from the mainland of Australia by water, 1801, by Shaun Mather
See lso Shaun's painting aged ca- 11 while at Wisboro'
