John Bardolph (Teacher during the 1970s and 80s)
The Old Honitonians Club was informed today by Langdale Care Home of the very sad news of the passing of Mr John Bardolph, former teacher at Allhallows during the 1970s and 80s.
Many will have wonderful memories of John.
John passed away on 9th June 2024 after a short illness, he was aged 87.
Tributes
Alan Lloyd
'Hello, I was very sad to read that John Bardolph had passed away for he made my time at Allhallows (1965 - 70) just about bearable!
I was in Shallow House, so John was also the man who dished out pocket money to us Shallow boys!
The reason that John made my life less miserable was twofold - firstly he looked after the mechanics club and secondly, he took those of us who were interested to Wiscombe Hillclimb when events were happening there.
The mechanics club was livened up by John's enthusiasm for cars and motorcycles - one time that I remember vividly was when he got two or three of us to hold hands in a line with him and then he touched a car spark plug which sent an electrical shock down the line through us all!
He thought that this was very funny! Another memory is of him towing Robin Biggs' Lotus Elan back under the Shallow House road arch very slowly at the dead of night just after the Elan had been rolled.....they might have thought that nobody would see them, but the noise that they made woke most of us in the dormitory!
I remember the 1930s Jaguar that he took the body off and drove around at high speed (again often at night) and his Vincent 1000 Black Shadow motorcycle (today worth a lot of money!)..........
He helped me arrange a car driving trial (a timed test manoeuvring a car around bollards) in the main car park in front of the school, and a couple of racing car demonstrations up the school drive! No health and safety issues back then!
I really did not like boarding school, but bless you, John, you made it a whole lot better!'
Mark Holbrook
'I have fond memories of John and how he was convinced........and then somehow convinced us his pupils....that we could speak Spanish right from day one. My strongest memory of 'Tocs' though - if one is allowed to say that now- was the morning after Halloween when his lotus was found on the first floor up the marble staircase amongst all the seaweed.....thanks Mr. Bardolph for being the most fun teacher I ever had'
James Turner
Very sad news. He was a decent bloke, who managed the miracle of me getting Spanish O’level, and was also my Tutor. I still remember pushing the Vincent when the starter failed, which was its normal state.
'Remember this one: Antes que te casas, mira lo que haces.
I still remember it today, though I have never had cause to use it in conversation.'
Stephen Dixon
'So very sorry to hear of John’s passing. Truly a great man and a legend in OH circles. I believe this photo was taken of him at The White Horse in Ampfield (run by John Anderson OH). He was the guest of honour at the end of an OH cricket week.'
A lovely man, I wrote several e-mails to the Sarah Cox show trying to get him mentioned in the "teacher's spot" he was great fun and inspired me in so many ways. Sad.
'Enjoyed his French lessons and the sound of his Vincent 1000.'
Have a great memory ride in honour of this fab fun guy. He introduced himself to us first Shallow Girls with Strawberry Cream Tea in Lyme. Unforgettable … I’d never met a teacher like him!
We also heard from Aidan Ford who was taught by John at his Prep School Stubbington House:
From 1962-65, I attended a prep school, Stubbington House, near Ascot. (Stubbington, now no longer in existence, had quite some heritage, but that is another story.) John was our French teacher and general, all-round “pal”. Sixty years on, my memories are distant, and it will be easier to sum them up as a series of bullet-point recollections, in no particular order:
His teaching manner was idiosyncratic, to say the least! In order to assist our French pronunciation, he would give us Edward Lear-esque phrases to recite (and, amazingly, these I do remember to this day!) – here are some examples…..
La vache mache ses moustaches sans relâche – the cow chews her moustache ceaselessly
Le bœuf veuf pond un tout neuf – the widowed ox lays a brand new egg
Le grenouille fouille dans les nouilles – the frog rustles among the noodles
He was also keen to teach us Spanish, even though this was not on the school curriculum at all, so he snuck in a few lessons of Spanish – which I enjoyed, and, as a result, I followed Spanish up to and including A-level, and beyond…
He was a ferocious sportsman. I recall his fielding on the cricket pitch. I was wicket-keeper and I trembled whenever he got the ball as I knew his throw to me would come like a speeding bullet. When playing rugby, he was naturally faster than any of us, and he would take great pleasure in tap-tackling us (somewhat dangerously, as we usually fell awkwardly as a result) to our great annoyance! In fact, I have a vague (and possibly incorrect) memory of him saying he used to play at Harlequins Club, in Twickenham, although not, I think, in the 1st XV…
He was passionate about ancient motor cars, and would regularly show up at school with a different old banger. With or without permission (I am not sure) he would allow us to experiment driving his cars over fields adjacent to, and part of, the school grounds (great fun for 11 & 12 year olds). Furthermore, on a school Easter holiday trip to the Lake District, we travelled up in a convoy of several masters’ cars, the oldest of which was his. Needless to say, the “big end” on his car went as we were halfway there, and we ground to a halt. Uncomplainingly, he sold his non-functioning car there and then to the garage (for a fiver, I think) and we continued on our way by train. He seemed very relaxed about it all!
Finally, while playing tag exuberantly out of school hours, he accidentally broke my arm! I am sure he was horrified, but I never held it against him. Indeed, he signed my plaster cast with the words “Mille fois pardon!” It was pretty much a badge of honour for me…