Ron


I shared some wonderful times with Ron.
 Verbier is prominent in my memories  , a superb place and super chalet .


Every year we have had additional members to core for Ron’s week . In one of the early years Brian Sanctuary joined us .He was a theoretical chemist at a Canadian university. Brian was a wild ,fast and random skier .  He would often leave the piste without warning and disappear in a flurry of snow . He committed the cardinal sin of skiing past Ron which we all paid for later in a hairy off-piste session .


Brian was a friend of Tom Halstead . One day we were skiing on Mont Fort and it was decided that we should continue on to Tortin down Gentianes . It was difficult but fun .
  A group of women from  Lancashire were rolling down the mountain laughing  all the way .
We got to the bottom and discovered that Tom was missing . Tom had damaged a knee and Ron  hiked up to him and carefully shepherded him to safety—  forever the Red Leader .


 My own greatest fear in Verbier was the kitchen.
 At the start of each week   Ron produced a chefs batting order. Ever  sensitive to my fears Ron always put me on early in the week with the best possible Sous-chef in the form of Lorraine. I was never paired  with Peter Cliff ,don’t think anyone suspected favouritism. After my cooking ordeal I was then able to relax for the rest of the week.


I shared many interests with Ron including golf .He was a  good competitive golfer who became the first Rabbit’s Captain at Easingwold Golf club . 
A happy memory was going with Ron,David and Robert to the Open at Turnberry. We had two rounds of golf and a  day at The Open. Ron was in a new BMW with all the gadgets .These he demonstrated in a car park at a Castle Douglas pub . He was particularly keen on the parking monitors . He demonstrated their effectiveness by ramming a wall in the car park much to the amusement of David and Robert,  although no one said a word .


Ron was a keen walker .We had some wonderful days on the moors with Ron and Bridget .
One day we were near Boltby and a shooting party blocked our way . Ron a great believer individual rights demanded we pass , the game-keepers quickly saw they could not win and we continued on  our walk .


Ron enriched the lifestyle of many people including myself and Ann .
A wonderful man  . Brilliantly intelligent with real presence .He had a keen sense of injustice and empathy .


John /Ann