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S.W. BARROW, J.P. (HONORARY MEMBER)

Simon Barrow belongs to that memorable list of masters at the O.S., such as Richard Pope and ‘Bones’ Headlam, who devoted almost the whole of their teaching careers to the School. He joined the staff to teach History in September 1969, coming from Caldicott Preparatory School, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire. From the moment of his arrival he took to the pastoral ethos of The Oratory as if born to it. He found that its emphasis on guidance through persuasion and sympathetic involvement, coincided with his Philippine instincts of humour, kindness, tolerance and gentleness of character.

Simon William Barrow was born in Singapore on 17th January, 1942. He left the colony with his mother on The Empress of Japan, just before the city’s fall to the Japanese the following month. His father, who was in banking, was interned by the conquerors in 1942. Simon and his mother spent the years of the Second World War in South Africa.

Simon was proud of his descent from Sir John Barrow of Ulverston, Lancashire, the first Baronet. Sir John was Second Secretary to the Admiralty and founder of the Royal Geographical Society. He was responsible for the dispatch of many voyages of exploration and discovery, as outlined in Fergus Fleming’s book - Barrow’s Boys. The Folio edition of his account of the Mutiny on H.M.S. Bounty was presented to Simon by the teaching staff on his retirement from the headmastership in 2000, to complete his collection of the works of his illustrious ancestor. Simon’s father, Alfred Barrow, was the third son of Sir Francis Barrow, the fourth Baronet.

Simon was sent as a boy to board at Stonyhurst College, which he did not enjoy. From there he went on to read History at the University of Reading. After obtaining his teaching qualification, he took up a post at Caldicott, the preparatory school near Slough. He began his career at The Oratory as a House Tutor in St John House and, when Bill Oliver resigned the housemastership of Norris House in 1971, Simon was the obvious person to succeed him. He was to become the longest serving O.S. housemaster of its Woodcote years. He quickly established a style of housemastering that accorded with his instincts of gentle care for his charges. He had sympathy with them, but he could be firm, if it was needed. He was interested in their activities and concerns. In the School he immersed himself fully in the life of the community, recognising that involvement in out-ofclass activities would bring him into closer contact with boys on a footing that would allow relationships of influence to be established. He coached the 1st XV, Senior Colts and Under 14 rugby teams at various times. He ran the Royal Engineer Section of the C.C.F. He produced plays for the Cardinal’s Men. His production of The Royal Hunt of the Sun in 1970, for example, was remembered for many years for its vitality and colour.

As Murray McLeod Jones (O.S. 1979-83) stated in his tribute at Simon’s Requiem in St Anne’s Church, Caversham, on 21st December, 2006

He recognised when people needed help and unselfishly gave his time, effort and experience to that person….I will remember Simon as a man of firm beliefs and values, which he lived his life by; he had a deft touch when it came to leading and developing people. But underneath all of that was a man with a warm and generous spirit, a great sense of humour and fun, a willingness to give his best all the time, every time.

In 1980 under the headmastership of Adrian Snow, after the retirement of Pat O’Malley, Simon was appointed Deputy Headmaster. Adrian Snow (Member of Staff, 1966-67, Housemaster of FitzAlan House 1967-72, Head Master 1972-88, Warden 1989- 94) has kindly contributed the following appreciation of Simon as a colleague and assistant:-

It was a real pleasure and a privilege to have worked with Simon Barrow for so many years.

Initially, he was my assistant in the History Department. He was an enthusiastic and highly competent teacher. He was as effective with the weaker candidates as he was with talented historians. He possessed that great skill of being able to match his presentation of information to the ability of the pupil. There was a thriving department and Oxbridge places and awards were gained.

Simon also joined St John House as a tutor. He was very generous with his time and very helpful and supportive of all that took place. It was not long before he was appointed as a housemaster to Norris - a position that he carried out with distinction for two decades.

He was an excellent judge, not only of pupils and what made them tick, but also of Common Room colleagues. I had no hesitation in appointing him as Deputy Headmaster. He was the complete schoolmaster upon whom I could rely absolutely. In his time he had produced some outstanding school plays and he was a top-class rugby referee; had he chosen to, he could have been a national level performer. Fortunately for The Oratory and its prep school he gave his time and expertise to Woodcote and Crays Pond. He also ran the highly successful Catholic Prep School Sevens, which did so much to extend The Oratory’s reputation.

When I retired as Head Master, I suggested that he might apply. He declined - he felt very comfortable (very modestly) with what he was doing. However, when Maurice Lynn decided, after a brief spell, that headmastering was not for him, Simon was persuaded to throw his hat in the ring. Wisely, the Governors perceived that an internal appointment of a respected schoolmaster would steady the ship. Sliding numbers were halted and confidence in the School was re-established. The reluctant Head Master had done what was required.

Jack Eyston (Governor of the Oratory School Association 1993-98, Chairman of the Governing Body 1998-2006) writes about Simon Barrow:-

Simon was a born teacher and had a gift of being able to communicate with boys; he really cared about their future. So he was caught up in the Oratorian spirit and in due course became a housemaster. His guidance and pastoral care made him an outstanding housemaster; he was much appreciated and is still remembered with deep affection by many who were in his house.

But these were difficult times for the School (in the 1990s) and when the post of headmaster fell vacant, the Governors urgently needed an experienced and reliable person, who knew the School, to take over as Head. Simon was the obvious choice and so it was with reluctance that he moved from being housemaster to headmaster…. The Governors’ reliance on Simon was fully justified because his guidance of the School till his retirement was carried out with great skill and brought the School through some difficult years.

In all his work in the School, Simon was strongly supported by his wife, Brenda, whom he married in 1977. In the words of his nephew, Kevin Barrow, giving tribute at Simon’s Requiem, “he shared his good values with her and she gave him confidence.” Their daughter, Jennifer, was born in 1979 and their son, Julian (O.S. 1994-99), in 1981. In the words of Kevin Barrow “he was proud of them all”. He went on to add that “he had a strong Christian faith and always saw the good in people. He had a strong sense of service, a great sense of fun.” He concluded by saying that “he loved rugby and was an Olympic-class smoker”.

Among the tributes from Old Oratorians, Andrew Flood (O.S. 1991-96) emphasised his support for the Old Oratorian Boat Club (The Oratory Cardinals)

While also a popular housemaster or headmaster to many of us during our Oratory years, more recently ‘Sid’ (Simon’s nickname) was a committed supporter of the Cardinals, often present on the towpath giving cheer to our efforts on the river.
I personally will not forget his ecstatic leap of delight as the Cardinals’ eight was announced as having qualified for Henley 2000. Off the river and in the background, Simon also contributed generously to our funds, providing invaluable financial support through our busier years.

Another Old Oratorian oarsman, Richard Adams (O.S. 1990-95), also commented

I appreciated the very active support Simon gave to Oratory rowing. Obviously his support was key in terms of generous donations to both O.S.B.C. and the Cardinals. But more significantly, throughout my involvement with Oratory rowing, I’ve been impressed by the genuine interest and enthusiasm he showed for the sport. Simon was keen to follow our efforts at school, and I thought this was important for helping us to feel that the sacrifices we made in rowing were valued. In particular I thought his continued support for the Cardinals showed that his participation had not just been due to a sense of duty, but to a genuine love for the sport. Rowing can be quite an introverted sport, but he was definitely ‘one of us’.

Another comment from a former pupil of Simon, Paul Walker (O.S. 1973-79), referred to the fact that

He made History a really live subject for me and is still a favourite subject today. I loved the way he always cleaned the chalk off the blackboard with his master’s gown at the beginning of every class. I did also survive a flying board duster attack from Sid for talking to my friend…. As they say he was a good egg.

Simon retired from the headmastership in the Summer of 2000. On his retirement to Caversham, Simon became a magistrate in Reading. This gave him the opportunity of working with young people, thereby allowing him to practise in a wider context, the skills he had developed over his years as a housemaster. M.J. Walker, Esq., a colleague on the Reading Bench, has contributed these words of appreciation of Simon’s work as a magistrate:-

Simon became a Justice of the Peace in 2002. He was appointed to the Reading Bench and served in both the Adult and Youth Courts. His work was greatly appreciated by his colleagues and he brought and always showed a high level of suitable knowledge and wisdom in all his court activities. This was particularly true of his involvement with the Youth Court Panel where his experience and knowledge, developed during his career while working with young people, was most valuable.

Another retirement activity and interest of Simon was as a governor of Winterfold House School in Worcestershire, to the headmastership of which W.C. R. Ibbetson-Price, an O.S. colleague (1982-1991) and Simon’s successor as housemaster of Norris House (1992-1999), had been appointed in 1999. Bill writes of Simon:-

Throughout my time at the O.S. Simon seemed to take me under his wing, although I suspect that he made everyone feel special and valued in this way…. Throughout his time as Head Master he supported and guided me and I gradually became aware of his immense experience and wisdom in dealing with the pupils and of his innate common sense when it comes to being a headmaster. Two of the most valuable lessons I learned from him were 1. only fight battles you know you can win, 2. Inaction is often the best form of action!

When I was appointed Head Master of Winterfold, it was only natural that Simon’s name should spring to mind as an ideal governor. His experience, good judgement and innate wisdom were valuable assets to a relatively new governing body, which did not have any educationalists on it. Simon rapidly earned respect from the other governors and made valuable contributions…. Simon never missed a governors’ meeting right up until the time he became ill and even then he resumed attending meetings as soon as he possibly could. Despite the long distance and the discomfort he experienced, he insisted on carrying out his duties as a governor right up to the very end. He was an excellent governor and is sadly missed by us all.

Unfortunately it was not given to Simon to enjoy his retirement for very long. Nevertheless he kept working for the courts, despite suffering from prostate cancer and undergoing operations for a brain tumour. In September 2006 his health finally began to deteriorate and he died on 8th December, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, by their daughter, Jennifer, and son, Julian, and by his mother, to whom in the words of his nephew, Kevin Barrow, at his Requiem, he was “a loving, attentive and kind son”. His Requiem Mass at St Anne’s Church, Caversham, on 21st December, 2006, was celebrated in front of a large congregation of family members, former pupils, ex-colleagues, fellow magistrates, Governors, all of whom had come to pay tribute to a devoted school master who cared for the young and who had been denied the retirement that his long service to the School had richly earned.

A tribute to Simon was printed in the Henley Standard of 22nd December, 2006, and is reproduced here in part with the permission of the Editor

A quiet, shy boy, Simon was educated at Stonyhurst College, in Lancashire, and graduated with a BA honours in History from Reading University. Initially unsure of his future, he completed his teaching qualifications and took a job at Caldicott School in Farnham Royal.

In September 1969, he started as a history teacher at the Oratory, the school he would devote his career to. After just two years he became housemaster of Norris House where he gained great respect over a 20-year tenure for his fairhanded, benevolent approach with boys.

Although a devout Catholic, he was not imposing with his views and when a boy in his care suffered the loss of a parent, he never tried to fill the void, but instead took the boy under his wing and ensured that he received all the support he needed.

By the time pupils left Norris House, they were invariably virtuous, commendable and hardworking young men, well prepared for any challenges that life would throw at them. In 1977 he married Brenda Kelly, and had two children, Jennifer and Julian, who were ensconced within the busy life of the boarding house.

Within three years Simon had become deputy headmaster and with the added responsibility had little time for extra-curricular activities. He refereed rugby matches however and even when injury forced early retirement, was a stalwart of the touchline. He was also a keen supporter of real tennis, with the school possessing one of the few remaining courts in the country.

By 1992 the school had hit hard times, and Simon’s experience won him a unanimous vote by the teaching staff to take over as headmaster. He did not disappoint, raising school numbers and by the time he retired in 2000, the school had risen considerably in the league tables.

On leaving he trained as a magistrate, and sat on both the Adult and Youth Referral Panel for Restorative Justice, in Reading.

Through a three-year battle with cancer he continued to volunteer as a magistrate and was determined to keep as busy as he could. He will be remembered by many as a kindly, Christian gentleman who always gave people a fair chance.

Jamie Sehmer

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