It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Geoff Thorne in March this year.
He was a Battersea boy through and through and had only lived at two different addresses for his entire adult life. He had had several debilitating physical problems for a number of years but when speaking to him, he never showed any emotion on that front. Right to the end he was affable and amusing. He loved good food and drink but his health problems rather curtailed that area of his life.
He did not ever re-invent the wheel or, as far as we know, split any atoms. He just led a quiet respectful life that was reciprocated by his community and friends.
When he left school, he joined Barclays Bank and then moved to Radcliffe& Co., the London-based solicitors and became a probate manager.
He loved sport – rugby and cricket in particular. He must have been one of the biggest wing three quarters ever fielded by the OEs – never the quickest, but certainly formidable.
Cricket was his first love and he played at a high level as an opening batsman. One of Geoff’s stories re cricket, but not on the playing field, was an occasion when OEs had the use of a net at the Alf Gover indoor cricket school in Wandsworth. One evening Geoff was batting when Alf himself appeared and asked whether we minded if he bowled at Geoff for a while. We of course agreed and Geoff suitably and reverently played a few balls with a straight bat. Suddenly Geoff decided otherwise and unleashed an almighty shot that would have been a six on any outdoor arena. Gover’s school had been built in 1938 and some forty years later still had all the same original equipment, including the nets themselves and some very dim gas mantles for lighting. Geoff’s shot soared up, found a hole in the net and then smashed to pieces one of the gas mantles. Alf was furious and pointed out to Geoff that gas mantles were hard to come by. Geoff was trying to look sheepish and to disappear into his boots while the rest of us were laughing hysterically.
Geoff had an eclectic taste in music, from Country to mega 20th century hits and Hollywood musicals. On cricket tours, Geoff would produce the words so that on the tour bus, we could all sing along in great disharmony.
Blagdons was his second home and Sunday afternoons were his domain where he could recall and happily regale listeners with incredibly obscure facts. He was a fund of trivia, very useful as a member of any quiz team. His specialities were 19th century French military insignia, the Peninsula War and Babe Ruth, upon which subjects he was probably TV Mastermind material.
Geoff was on various OE committees; he was always interesting and interested and brought sensibility, knowledge and gravitas to any occasion.
Geoff was not a “mover or a shaker”, just a good guy and a privilege to have known him. I am proud to have been able to have had him as a friend for so long.
John Cox (OE1959-67)
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When Old Emanuel RFC opened its doors to a junior section, the Emanuel Lions, in 2007, I, together with my very young sons Jake and George, were there in the first weeks. The junior section was every Sunday and Geoff Thorne was with us, providing support, from the very start.
Every Sunday lunchtime at the Blagdons bar he would give us a potted history of Emanuel School and the proud club we had joined.
He and his sadly-missed chums, Richard Tarrant and John Evans, would often remember stories differently and over numerous pints and surrounded by screaming youngsters had us all in fits of laughter with their banter and jibes.
I am not sure at the start how much Geoff enjoyed so many youngsters playing pool and causing mayhem at his Sunday retreat, but 14 years later as the player base grew he was a focal part of the Lions. He gave his time and knowledge freely, well almost as he was usually rewarded with a coffee and a bacon roll at midday from the club canteen.
Geoff was an inspiration to me and many of the other coaches and teenage players. He was always there with a kind word for an Emanuel team when needed such as when we might lose at home.
The Lions have a fun post-game ritual. That’s rugby! Together with the opposition’s nominated players they would stand on stools eating a bar of chocolate and drinking cola as fast as possible. Geoff enjoyed these games and it was usually him who funded the cola and chocolate.
He was a great man, a kind man and a good friend. Every year he would send my late wife Emma a birthday and Christmas card during her long battle with cancer. Geoff did this for numerous persons who were struggling although at times, particularly in his last years, he struggled himself. Geoff was respected by all 250 of our young players, together with their coaches and parents and became part of the fabric of the Sunday club. He was an original Emanuel Lion and will be missed.
Ian Harvey, Emanuel Lions VP