Letter: A thank you to a wonderful gent, the late Eric Waldron

I now do that belatedly but with absolute sincerity. I wish to do that in respect of a gentleman who had a profound influence on my life, and I anticipate probably many others. His name is Eric Waldron and he died peacefully (thankfully) on 24 July. I saw the notice of his death in the Family Notices in the Guernsey Press on 27 July. It immediately compelled me to write this note.

Eric grew up in La Charroterie, the same road as I did. He lived a few houses down the road in a house that still stands. He was older than me but I can remember him striding off from his house in a bustling and cheery manner.

How he came to influence my life though was some years later. He and another wonderful man, Mike Le Poidevin, ran Salem Youth Club. I started attending that youth club when I was about nine. It was marvellous. It provided a centre of activity for so many boys in that area. We came from La Charroterie, Pedvin Street, Victoria Road, Back Street and the like. We were from similar backgrounds. We were impressionable young boys with boundless energy.

That energy was channelled into so many good things by these men, but because of his death I am mentioning Eric in particular. Eric was a renowned sportsman. He won the Church to Church Walk on more than one occasion. In the era when he was a star, that sporting event was up there with the Muratti. It was held on a Thursday at a time when the shops closed on Thursday afternoons. The streets were packed by thousands who observed it. He was also an accomplished cricketer, a sport he loved all his life, and athlete.

What he brought us boys was the opportunity for comradeship, team building and to play lots of sports. I played more cricket then than I ever did afterwards. We played snooker and did so many other things. Salem in my era produced many fine sportsmen. I name just two who were also Amherst schoolmates. Their names will be well known to my generation, namely Kevin Allen, one of the island’s best ever footballers, and Ralph Anthony, who was an island cricket legend. They more than made up for my poor level of sporting prowess. Not that such limited ability bothered Eric. He encouraged us all to do our very best. He taught us all to be positive.

I remember a Salem Boys Youth Club trip to Sark, where we camped for a few days. For boys like us from that time, a trip like that was an adventure like no other. Eric taught us to always see the goodness in others, to do our best, to respect others, to be kind and so many other good things. I have on many occasions not achieved those high standards but I am grateful to Eric for his efforts in that regard.

As a condition of attending the youth club, you were expected to attend Salem Church, which was for so long an important part of Eric’s life. When I was the age I was then, I failed to appreciate the time and commitment Eric devoted to us all. He was after all a young man himself. He had a business to run. He was, when I first went to the youth club, if my memory serves me, going out with Margaret, who he shortly afterwards married and who was such a loss to him when she died. He ran for many years his father-in-law’s business, Braggs. Many will recall that.

After I passed the 11-plus and started at Elizabeth College, I attended the youth club less and less. I always, though, remembered Eric.

Over the years we would occasionally just meet in the street. I never observed Eric other than with a smile on his face and with a kind word.

I recall visiting a few times at his last home at De Hubie Court at Les Cotils. One visit sticks in my mind. It was at a time when I was extremely busy as an advocate, Eric asked to see me so I went to his home. I expected to be there for no more than half an hour. I had an afternoon full of appointments and I was due to commence a lengthy court case the next day. Time was precious. I ended up spending nearly three hours at his home. The subsequent appointments had to be rearranged. The final preparation for the court case started much later than I expected. I enjoyed every second of that near three hours and now wish it was longer. The memories of court cases fade but not my memory of that meeting. We talked about lots of things, including cricket. Eric showed me his collection of Wisdens [cricketers’ almanack]. We discussed every single member of the then England cricket team in detail. Eric had a very low opinion (as a cricketer) of the abilities of the then English wicketkeeper. Eric was a non-drinker and he told me of how, not too long before our chat, he had been stopped by the police in a spot check when he was driving. The officer asked him when he last had a drink. He said at least 45 years ago. He always had a great sense of humour.

I would also occasionally see him when he was having breakfast or lunch at Les Cotils and I was there for conferences or for various work commitments. It was always uplifting even if sometimes all we did was exchange pleasantries. He was that kind of person.

I never know why people like Eric, and he in particular, never received an honour for all that he did when others got them just for doing a job. He ran the youth club for many years. I am sure his influence and goodness was passed on to so many.

I cannot now ever say thank you to him personally. Nor to Margaret for allowing him to give his time to us. I do, though, say publicly through this medium to his son, Christopher, and daughter, Alison (and to his wider family), thank you on my behalf to your father. I will always remember him.

PETER FERBRACHE

Les Granges de Beauvoir Manor,

Ivy Gates,

Rohais,

St Peter Port,

Guernsey,

GY1 1QT.