Tony Barrett RIP

[Straz]

Very sad to read in the latest edition of The Old Blue that Tony Barrett (Ma B, Pe A 1966-73) has passed away.
Tony - and his Peele A study mate Robert - were very helpful to me during a particularly difficult period, circa 1972, when I was struggling to get my O-Level re-takes. At the time I was too junior to have my own study and they very kindly allowed me to use their shared one when it was convenient. This allowed me to do intensive revision without interruption. The upshot of this was that I managed to get sufficient re-takes to take me on to A-Levels, for which I will be eternally grateful. Tony also had a good taste in contemporary music - prog rock, Roxy Music and the like - which left a lasting impression on me, and he had a wicked, very dry sense of humour, which I greatly appreciated.
I've no idea what Tony did after CH, so if anyone knows, please post a reply.
Meanwhile, rest in peace Tony... and thank you.

[JackyBarrett]

I am Jacky Barrett, Tony's wife. I am so pleased to read that Tony helped you out at School but not at all surprised. Tony and I grew up in the same village Princes Risborough, I remember him winning the scholarship to CH. Tony left CH (cried the day he left) to go to Bath University to read Pharmacy. He really wanted to do Biochemistry so after one year left Bath to do the FIMLS in Biochemistry. He started his working life in the NHS but soon got frustrated and went to work for Boehringer, Union Carbide and latterly Hoffman la Roche. We have two daughters and in 1990 aged 6 and 8 (Tony 35) we went off to live and work in Switzerland for 5 and half years, then to North Carolina for 15 months. The Swiss job was fantastic for him and he travelled all over the world but in particular down to Japan, South Africa, Australasia. He loved his job but alas company politics and changes and we ended in the USA, not our finest hour. We came back to UK late 1996 and he had a variety of jobs. He was most interested in customer satisfaction and consulted for B2B with a colleague of his. He was an active freemason for 40 years but latterly struggled to get to CH meetings because of his diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis. He fell in love with India on our first visit about 10 years ago and it was towards the end of his third Indian visit, that we think we all contracted Covid kindly shared by an Australian traveller on our cruise down the Hoogli River. He collapsed on the plane on the way home, he died 48 hours later.
He was a very kind, generous, caring person and everyone loved him. Indeed there were 130 folk at the wake. As you know, his biggest love was his music and it will not surprise you that he had chosen the pieces to be played at the Crematorium. He entered the Crem in a Thunderbirds coffin playing to the theme tune. The other music was: The Lovers by the Enid, Grantchester Meadows by Pink Floyd, our daughter sang Nights in White Satin, Shine by Younger Brother (a particular favourite), and departure music Venice Beach.
Tony spent his life helping others and raising money for charity, he was such a good soul, I miss him. Jacky
www.tonybarrett.muchloved.com

[Straz]

Many thanks Jacky for your detailed and informative update on Tony's life after CH.
It was fascinating to read how Tony got on in the world, and, by the sound of it, how he continued to embrace CH's ethos by helping others.
My condolences to you and all the family.
Thanks again.

[MrEd]

This story about Tony sums up all that was good about CH. Pupils showing a maturity, generosity and kindness beyond their years to help someone less fortunate. I am trying to picture the scene, the intrusion of the ramshackle culture of the early 1970s into the House, prog rock playing along the corridor, perhaps the faint whiff of record cleaning fluid as LPs are being de-dusted along the corridor, hair as long as CH permitted, and someone beavering away at re-takes in an oasis of peace amidst the bustle of the House. A microcosm of the difference CH has made to many over the years, and making a life-long difference, a sharp contrast to the selfish careerism and wilful blindness of some of the senior staff in the recent decades.