OBITUARIES
DOWDING, AL (hon member) It is a great honour for me to have been asked to write this obituary for Alan Dowding (ALD), my tutor in B Social for five years, and a friend for life thereafter. A friend in the true, timeless sense that when one picked up the phone, having been provoked by some disparaging comment about the state of English cricket in a Christmas card, the conversation would flow seamlessly from the last time we had spoken or met. The passing years never mattered, it was always a bright teasing chat of lightening memory, often beginning with “Now then Sport, where were we?’ Winning a Rhodes Scholarship for brains and cricket brought ALD to Oxford from Adelaide. He was immediately put into the Blues side (dashing the hopes of one indigenous English student, topping the authentic averages at the time, a certain John Fawcett, my Father). Captaining the opposing Blues side, and losing the Varsity match to a certain Dennis Silk, was the fateful connection that, many years post Oxford, led ALD to Radley. I was originally destined for Winchester or Charterhouse, but my parents were advised to look into the excellent Tutor of B Social at a place called Radley College. Dear Dad had not read the small print about who we were going to meet and when Alan opened the door to greet us there was a sharp intake of breath from the Fawcett Senior camp – “Not that wretched Australian!” But Alan couldn’t have been more charming, and so the new era of entente cordiale began. Walking into B Social in April 1978, I was greeted by Head of Social, James McNicol who, on seeing my cricket bag, said “You will get on famously with Mr Dowding.” Much has been written and said about ALD during his life and, recently, since his death. I would like to comment on his role as a Tutor, cricket coach and teacher, to give some small praise to the man who had such a positive influence on so many young men in his charge over the years. Whether you were lucky enough to have been in B Social, or you were a prep school boy being put through the rigours of an ALD cricket coaching session at Cothill (a job he did until the age of 84), you will have been the recipient of his defining traits: kindness, modesty, patience, humour,
energy, intelligence, enthusiasm and generosity, all delivered with a calmness that commanded respect. His own high standards were such that we knew, just by observing him and without being told, exactly what was required; a withering or pained look occasionally helped. I found parenting three teenagers for four months of the year a tough enough challenge. ALD was responsible for 80 odd teenagers for eight months of the year, an incredible feat only made possible by the afore mentioned gifts. For nearly 69 years of his life, ALD had the wonderful support of Jen (née Hughes), ‘Mrs D’ or Sheila as she was affectionately known in Social. The loyalty and commitment they have shown to each other remains an example to us all. Our abiding memory must be of his kindness and modesty. Never once did he brag about his former glories. Only in recent weeks have I learned about his 105 against Nottinghamshire, 69 against India, 99 against Yorkshire (to my distress!) and his lasting friendships with cricket greats such as the former England Captain Colin Cowdrey. Only once, when I was moaning about the stress of A-levels and cricket, did he say, “When you are in the Blues side and aiming at a First, you’ll discover real stress.” Sadly, this advice was of little use, as I ended up at the University of North Carolina for four years, without cricket! In the end, it was all about the cricket. He adored the game’s subtlety, the competition, fair play and the season in which it took place. Never did he seem more alive and twinkly than on a sunny day with a game in the offing. It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from on a cricket pitch; it was how you played the game that mattered. How wonderful it was to read, in Fi’s eulogy to her beloved father, the story of the ‘Uppity Englishman’ who, having met and played against a ‘young, white-haired Australian’ in Oxford University Parks, walked away with the previously unfathomable thought that ‘you didn’t have to be English to be a gentleman’. And the tenets of the cricket field were just as applicable to Wet Bobs, artists, musicians and scholars. It was a code that worked for all. In his later years, he was mortified by Australian ball tampering in South Africa – now that did lead to a fun conversation
Alan Dowding. between Yorkshire and Hailey Witney! He was very cross about that and it was about the only time I sensed him being truly cross. There were many occasions when he could have been very cross, managing a house full of trying teenagers, his temperament was so even that all you ever got was “Oh, you are a pain.” On one occasion, when a large consignment of wine had arrived at the Porters’ Lodge addressed to me, I was called to his study, but even then, he only commented that it was rather embarrassing, given my position as Head of Social. The situation was quickly smoothed over when I clarified that the delivery was for the Gourmet Society Dinner, to which he and Jen had been invited. ALD had spent many years in industry before changing tack to join Dennis Silk’s winning team at Radley. His experience of the real world gave him a sense of proportion and an appreciation of what really mattered. In essence, being in B Social under Dowding was like living in a large family, one where nobody felt left out. Facing a world without ALD is tough; we have lost something very special. He was a maker of men, and we have all lost a dear friend. Not a 100 this time but an elegant 94 – a wonderful knock and, as he bashfully raises his bat en route to the divine pavilion, the angels are applauding a man who lived an exemplary and wonderful life. Thank you, ALD, for all that you gave us. Like so many, I remain forever grateful for being under your wing. Farewell ‘Sport’ – I pray we will meet again and relive those salad days. This appreciation was written by James Fawcett (1978, B). the old radleian 2023
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