|
|
|
|---|
Last update: Monday February 27, 2006 15:26
John Marshman Robinson
I first met John at the British Chess Championships at Eastbourne. He had been a stalwart member of the Midland Counties Chess Union for many years, but his recent redundancy from the steel industry had given him the time he needed to pursue his other interests. It was one of the best moves that John ever made!
John was a worker and a good team member. He rapidly became an important part of the British Team and was Congress Secretary for some years. He added the prestigious Hastings International Chess Congress to his portfolio and served there as both Arbiter and Committee Member. He arbited at the 4NCL Chess League, the strongest event in the country during recent years. He also became part of the Monarch International Tournament at Port Erin on the Isle of Man.
John had a remarkable capacity for work, which he did with quiet good humour. He regularly phoned to sort out details of the British Chess Championships at about 8 o’clock in the morning. I was just getting up, but John had already done about 3 hours’ work. He hated confrontation and I didn’t get on well with the more routine jobs. We came to the compromise that I would deal with the awkward customers and he would do the rest!
He thoroughly deserved his title of Senior Arbiter of the British Chess Federation and his International Arbiter title. His work on the Laws of Chess in the mid nineties has left its mark on the Laws we still use today. John enjoyed the International scene, but he was equally at home with small events, which also benefited from his care and attention to detail.
If John were just a worker, he would deserve our respect, but John was much more than that! He was the very best of company, full of stories of his beloved Birmingham University, National Service, treks in outlandish places and his beloved Northamptonshire. Given a spare moment, he would rarely be without a puzzle or crossword. If ever I managed to solve a clue in the King William’s College Christmas Quiz, he would rattle off several further solutions on the same theme.
I must not forget that he was awarded the Boxall Salver for his work on the British Championship team and, more recently, the President’s Award for Services to Chess. Far more important was his appreciation of his friends and his real sense of humour. I have never met a person so genuine and dedicated as John was. It has been a privilege to know him.
David Welch
Message from Geurt Gijssen
Unfortunately I met John only a few times, but it was always a pleasure to talk
with him. Especially the Laws of Chess were many times the subject of our talks
and discussions. In this connection I like to mention the fact that John Robinson
made a substantial contribution to the codification of the Laws of Chess in
1996 and 2000. His quiet efficiency was much-appreciated. May he rest in peace.
I am David Ingyon, next of kin and cousin of John Marshman Robinson born on July the 31st 1931 at Kettering, Northamptonshire – the only child of Clare and Frederick Robinson of 47, Hawthorne Road Kettering. His mother and my mother were sisters and John and I grew up together attending the same schools.
John, myself and my wife, Sheila spent our early years at the Hawthorn Road School. Then he and I were accepted for places at Kettering Grammar School at the age of eight – although some three years separated our forms and Sheila went to the High School adjacent, in the imposing buildings in Bowling Green Road.
Having been endowed with the brains in the family John made steady progress gaining a school certificate in eight subjects followed by a higher certificate in pure and applied mathematics, physics and chemistry being then awarded a place at Birmingham University. His extra – mural activities involved the debating society, fell walking, public reading, photography and chess, he was certainly academically orientated rather than sport. From a young age he was taken regularly to the Lake District by his parents where they all enjoyed the magnificent scenery and walking, giving him the foundation to trek through the Austrian and Continental mountains, subsequently spending time in the high peaks of Nepal. On the 26th February 1995 he added the ascent of Mount Kenya, to over 16,000 feet, reaching Point Lenana, to his achievements. My cousin was not particularly interested in gardening ! and his response recently, I am given to understand, to the local authority who suggested he do something about the eyesore ‘wild garden’ at his home was to pull down the blinds ! a truly academics approach.
John was awarded a first class degree from Birmingham University specialising in metallurgy, then followed National Service in the REME where, stationed at Honiton he worked on trials and development of a new electro-mechanical gunsight predictor. These qualifications and experience gained him an immediate opportunity to join Stewarts & Lloyds (subsequently British Steel and now Corus) in the research department, where his Father worked at Corby, where again, steady progress was rewarded with the post as a senior manager in the field of research metallurgy.
A confirmed bachelor all his life, he and the family moved from Kettering to Stanion where they had a new bungalow built in 1960. His Father Fred was a brilliant practical engineer and model maker in the Stewarts & Lloyds instrument research section. The story goes that the company received a request from the USA nuclear weapons programme to see if they could manufacture a very high grade steel tube of micro – micro bore size. John organised the appropriate steel grade and his Father dealt with the matter of turning and boring in the model shop, returning the sample to the USA in a matter of a few days. The States contacted S & L to say they understood if it wasn’t possible to make tubes of that size whereupon the response across the Atlantic was – ‘Didn’t you look inside your sample!!’
John always walked from Stanion to ‘The Works’ through the Companies extensive woodland (with, I hasten to add, written permission from the Directors) and home again! Often seeing unique wildlife at close quarters meeting face to face with wild deer. He was passionately interested in the countryside which was profusely depicted in his multitude of wonderful photographs and slides, for which he won numerous Prizes and accolades.
Life at home was subsequently not very easy, as both parents suffered protracted degenerative illness requiring constant care and attention which John did almost single handed – a most commendable and monumental effort displaying the deepest love and affection for his parents.
Sadly, the steel industry in the UK declined over the years and Stewarts & Lloyds, from being one of the world leaders in the Bessemer process, cold rolled steel, metal tubing manufacture with extensive associated research and development laboratories bore the brunt of this run – down. John was offered early retirement, as insufficient funding was available to continue the research he was conducting on steel ‘creep testing’ at Corby. He kept in close touch both with colleagues from British Steel and the old boys ‘Citringanians’ Association of Kettering Grammar School regularly attending meetings, lunches and dinners.
Increased interest in the complex game of chess then filled the gap created in his life. Having been directly involved in the County of Northamptonshire he was then invited to become an umpire on the national chess circuit. Having demonstrated his abilities and fairness he was eventually assisting in the organisation of international chess championships and was appointed to the prestigious official position as an international chess arbiter and called upon to oversee matches and tournaments in such places as Hastings, The Isle of Man, Moscow, Armenia, Istanbul etc.
As recently as last October he was involved in the Leamington Tournament. John became an important part of the British Chess Team and was congress secretary for some years. His work on the laws of the game in the mid 90’s has left its mark – being incorporated in the laws in present day use. Rewards came in the form of the prestigious Boxall Salver for his work with the British Championship Team and the President’s Award for Services to Chess. For many years John gave his time and enthusiasm for teaching youngsters how to play and enjoy the game at Rushton Primary School where, I’m told his presence and humour will be sadly missed. As, indeed, it will be, in the local community where he became Church Warden of this Church St Peters in 1994 taking an active interest in projects and works concerning the repair, restoration and renewal to the fabric of this fine building of Christian worship, I’m told he also made very good current cakes!! Other activities in which he took an active part included swimming, bridge clubs, musical evenings, photography and inter – village quiz team competitions.
Although feeling poorly and somewhat incapacitated with what he though was a slight stroke he persevered and tied up all the immediate existing matters in the chess world that he was dealing with before submitting himself to be taken by his church friend Ken Gibbard to Kettering General Hospital. An extensive analysis of his condition revealed that in fact he had tumours of the brain which proved to be advanced and untreatable.
He was transferred to St Mary’s at Kettering from the General Hospital and then on to Corby Community Care Centre. The treatment, loving care and attention he received here on a constant 24 hour basis was of the highest possible standard. Doctor Perera, the Matron, Staff Nurses, Nurses Auxiliaries and all the Admin Staff played a very important part in making sure, through their efforts, that John’s last days were as comfortable and pain free as possible and I would like to express my very grateful thanks to them all.
Most people would agree with me that my cousin was a rather quiet man with a somewhat reserved nature, he had, however, a huge depth of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects – which I’m given to believe is why his local quiz team usually won!
I think we would all endorse the notice his friend David Welch, Manager of
Congress Chess & Chief Arbiter from Liverpool who states on the English
Chess Federation website: -
‘I have never met a person so genuine and dedicated as John Robinson was.
It has been a privilege to know him.’
Finally, my wife and I extend our warmest thanks to the Rector, Roger Watson for his time and constant professional help in our time of need, and to all of John’s friends, neighbours, fellow members of the congregation and colleagues he came into contact with, many of whom made special efforts to travel to visit him in the hospitals, and are here today to pay their respects.
May he rest in peace.
Amen.