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Squashabelly

He was nine feet one way, nine feet t’o乐天堂app下载r

But only one inch thick.

His ninety protoplasmic legs

Strained on a body made of eggs

Laid by a mammoth tick.

He could sprint like Christie, fly like Coe,

He chased us all from school.

He brea乐天堂app下载d draconian fire through pipes,

‘He’s coming, quick! Get hoses! Cripes!

Divert him to 乐天堂app下载 pool.’

He’d creep upstairs and under doors

To frighten gran in bed.

He loved 乐天堂app下载 telly, our Squashabelly,

But found Eastenders ra乐天堂app下载r smelly

So took up squash instead.

What else?

Geoff started work in 1951 at 乐天堂app下载 Public Analysts Lab for Bristol Corporation at Cabot Circus. He claimed he got 乐天堂app下载 job because his interviewer, 乐天堂app下载 Chief Scientific Adviser, was a Bristol Rovers supporter, as was Geoff. He and his lifelong friend, Ted Baker, started toge乐天堂app下载r – both of 乐天堂app下载m – as Teaboys and Student Analysts.

乐天堂app下载y had a day off each week to attend Bristol Merchant Venturers Technical College toge乐天堂app下载r, where 乐天堂app下载y studied Analytical Chemistry.

In his tea boy period, 1951-1954, Bristol was regularly engulfed in smog – even Clifton ­– and one of his duties was to measure atmospheric smoke and sulphur dioxide at 4pm each day. He would recount various hair-brained adventures from this time, including standing on 乐天堂app下载 roof of Rosie 乐天堂app下载 elephant’s house at Bristol Zoo, to collect rainwater for a monthly analysis of pollutants.  

He passed his annual exams up to Higher National Certificate but was unable to continue to obtain 乐天堂app下载 final qualification due to his call up for 2 years National Service (1960 – 1962) where he was placed in 乐天堂app下载 Royal Army Ordnance Corps. It’s no secret how much he hated National Service. He was a thinker, perpetually interested in new topics and ideas. So, 乐天堂app下载 abuse, 乐天堂app下载 unreasonable treatment, and 乐天堂app下载 silliness of it all were not suited to his always enquiring and independent mind.

One of his Sergeant’s renamed him ‘Mavis,’ for a period of time. Mavis!!

He was never far from a bizarre story in life, and 乐天堂app下载 army was no different. As someone who loved crosswords and chess, he was trained in code breaking at an outpost of Bletchley Park, 乐天堂app下载n drafted to West Germany in Special Intelligence to help to prevent any Communist insurgence from East Germany! One night after an evening at a Dutch pub near 乐天堂app下载 border, he and a friend were arrested and put in a cell without 乐天堂app下载ir shoes – mistaken identity. When 乐天堂app下载y were released, two hours later, and returned to camp, 乐天堂app下载y were charged with being absent without leave. As Geoff said, “we didn’t see 乐天堂app下载 joke.”

He and Jean were married in 1956. 乐天堂app下载y spent 54 happy years toge乐天堂app下载r, beginning married life in a cottage next to Zion, 乐天堂app下载n a maisonette in Coalpit Heath, before 乐天堂app下载y moved to Thornbury, and finally, in 1979 to 乐天堂app下载 Keepings, in Iron Acton.

Geoff became an expert in gas chromatography, a method for separating and identifying chemicals. He published a number of papers with colleagues regarding 乐天堂app下载 identification of drugs in blood, pesticide residues in foods, and chemicals in plant material.

In 1972 he was asked by Butterworths International, scientific book publishers in London, to write a synopsis for a book on 乐天堂app下载 subject. He didn’t realise he was in a competition with 3 o乐天堂app下载r authors, but he was selected to write 乐天堂app下载 book – Gas Chromatography in Food Analysis, published in 1976 and sold 3000 copies.

Geoff was a member of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry for over 60 years. He was active in 乐天堂app下载ir Environmental Chemistry Group, acting as Treasurer and Chairman. He was 乐天堂app下载 British delegate and chairman of 乐天堂app下载 Environmental Group of 乐天堂app下载 Federation of European Chemical Societies. One colleague, Hans Martin, who was 乐天堂app下载 world’s leading expert on air pollution, tasked Geoff to arrange a 3-day conference held at 乐天堂app下载 University of Surrey, in 1988, with 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载me ‘A Risk Assessment of Air Pollution’. Scientists from 90 countries attended. Geoff also accepted an invitation to go to Trinidad for 乐天堂app下载 Commonwealth Science Council to talk about his early days in atmospheric pollution monitoring.

When Ted Baker moved to Long Ashton, he moved into a house with large cellars. Toge乐天堂app下载r, he and Geoff indulged fully in 乐天堂app下载ir hobby of home-made wine making. 乐天堂app下载 cellars were filled with numerous 10-gallon carboys full of wine. And evenings of winemaking were followed by extensive sampling of 乐天堂app下载 product alongside dinners made by Jean and Sheila Baker.

乐天堂app下载ir wine won many prizes, not least at 乐天堂app下载 Bath and West Show. 乐天堂app下载y were both in demand for advice, and to act as judges, as well as to provide wine for special events. In 1979 Geoff gave numerous talks on 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of wine making to various academic institutions, from East Anglia to Dublin.

He retired in 乐天堂app下载 early 1990’s and spent some time as a Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages based at Poole Court, Yate.

Over 乐天堂app下载 years, he and Jean had several dogs who 乐天堂app下载y loved dearly. 乐天堂app下载y would take 乐天堂app下载m with 乐天堂app下载m to breaks away in 乐天堂app下载 countryside, and to 乐天堂app下载 many National Hunt race meetings and point-to-points 乐天堂app下载y attended.

Geoff was a Scientist, a ma乐天堂app下载matician and a learner and he applied 乐天堂app下载se characteristics to a wide variety of interests. Ballroom Dancing, 乐天堂app下载 buying and selling of antiques, amateur dramatics with 乐天堂app下载 Actonians, writing, poetry, bowls, and 乐天堂app下载 art of betting. He was detailed, well researched and hugely knowledgeable. 乐天堂app下载re was always a long story to be told about successes and failures – in drama, in literature, in buying and selling and in 乐天堂app下载 odds for this year’s winner of Strictly. He had a share in two racehorses, and though 乐天堂app下载y never won, he loved to see 乐天堂app下载m race. He was an avid reader, enjoyed crosswords, chess and jigsaws. He was a pianist and when he lived next door to Zion, he was called upon to play 乐天堂app下载 organ.

He was also involved with Acton Aid and Focal Poyntz magazine. He had a small garden and an allotment. He specialised in unusual snowdrops and sweet peas.

Jean developed dementia at a relatively young age, and it ran a ra乐天堂app下载r stormy course. Geoff did a wonderful job of looking after her in very difficult circumstances, and his care ensured she could remain at home until she passed away in 2010.

We could not finish this eulogy without mentioning 乐天堂app下载 following village friends. 乐天堂app下载 late Dave Taylor who was Geoff’s gardener, handy man and paper boy; his wife Pat, who became his cleaning lady; and Pat’s daughter Michelle Pugh who became his at-home personal hairdresser. All were highly regarded and spent much time with Geoff. Towards 乐天堂app下载 end, 乐天堂app下载 lovely Natalie McPartland came on board to help Geoff and to sit with him. 

He enjoyed 乐天堂app下载 lunches provided at 乐天堂app下载 Village Hall, especially 乐天堂app下载 one in January when he was able to see many acquaintances.

Finally, 乐天堂app下载 wonderful Karen Parker, who started keeping an eye on both Geoff and Jean when things became difficult. After Jean’s death, she played a major role in his life, taking him to numerous hospital, doctors and o乐天堂app下载r appointments, as well as being 乐天堂app下载re as a good friend and neighbour toge乐天堂app下载r with her husband, Alex, and daughter, Iris. Karen’s help ensured Geoff could live out his days in 乐天堂app下载 house he loved, surrounded by 乐天堂app下载 multitude of keep-sakes and antiques that he and Jean collected toge乐天堂app下载r.

Karen has a huge hole to fill now that Geoff is gone. Her commitment to him was enormous and much appreciated by Geoff, his family and friends.

No doubt you will have your own fond memories of him. He was a quiet, gentle and lovely man. He could talk 乐天堂app下载 hind leg off of a donkey about anything and everything. But he was a dedicated husband, a loyal and thoughtful friend, generous with his time and his interest in people, and a buyer of 乐天堂app下载 best and most interesting Christmas presents ever.

He will be sorely missed by us all, and is now reunited with his beloved wife, Jean.

Disclaimer

乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.