Framlinghamian 2022 - Flipbook - Page 162
OBITUARIES
An excellent lunch followed, and a toast
was proposed and drunk to Peter, both
to wish him well in retirement and to
congratulate him on his recent marriage.
Peter’s brother James gave the eulogy at
Peter’s funeral and the following, edited to
concentrate on the Fram years, is a version
of what he said,:
Peter Leill
for many years. His wife, Jean, and James
and sister Liz had lovingly supported him
over that time.
Peter was for many years an SOF Trustee,
and his retirement from that position was
celebrated with a golf match at Royal
Worlington Golf Club with his great friends,
Peter Howard-Dobson, Norman Porter - the
then SOF Hon Secretary, and retired Trustee
and ex-President, Jim Blythe.
Peter’s report on the match helps us
remember the best times:
The two Peters, both members of the golf
club, took on “the rest of the world” in the
shape of Norman Porter and Jim Blythe.
The standard of golf was a touch variable,
but the competitiveness of both teams
was never in doubt. This photograph is
perhaps a little unfair, but, if nothing else,
it shows the sort of co-operative approach
to problem-solving that the Trustees always
adopt - with the dividend that Norman
Porter retrieved no fewer than four golf
balls from this bush, in return for the single
ball that Peter Liell had fired into it!
After nine holes the match was evenly
poised, with the two Peters 1- up. A swift
half of Greene King and a few fingers of
anchovies on toast fortified everyone for
the second half. Messrs Blythe & Porter
fought back hard but, in the end, were
overwhelmed and the match finished on the
17th green. The bye was won by “the rest
of the world”, which seemed only fair, and
the teams were joined on the 18th green
by David Mason (who is much too wise to
ruin a good walk by hacking at a little white
ball).
Peter Liell Four Balls for One
160
THE FRAMLINGHAMIAN 2019
Peter was such a very special person in
so many ways. All of us will have our own
memories. After this service we shall able to
share them with joy and laughter.
We grew up in Loughton. Peter, Liz (my
sister) and I had a sublimely happy
childhood. When Peter was 11, he went to
board at Brandeston Hall. I have a recent
letter from Richard Overend, who writes:
“I remember the day we met as new boys
at Brandeston in 1951. We remained good
friends from that day on. Your Dad, Mark,
similarly then a Trustee, arranged for me to
be in Stradbroke, so that Peter and I could
be together. Hardly a day passes that I do
not think of him”.
I believe Peter enjoyed Brandeston – there
was a lot of sport, and he was academic,
so the masters liked him. In 1953 he went
up to Fram where he did well - several “O”
levels and “A” levels, in preparation for the
Law Society exams.
With the 1950s came 10 years of relative
prosperity, and optimism: The Empire was
still largely intact, and Pathe News, with its
cockerel, was always cheerful and positive,
announcing how well Britain was doing
generally, and with a strong emphasis
on Sport. The Liells were enthused and
became part of the National Sporting
Euphoria, which seemed mainly to do with
cricket. There was plenty of it at Fram, with
Peter enjoying the bat and ball; and his
throw to the wicket keeper, from the deep,
where he was fielding on a boundary, was
formidable. He was competitive too.
London clubs, followed by high tea, gallons
of Whitbread, naughty songs, then off to a
party somewhere. And, of course, there was
golf. Peter captained the OF golf team for
some years, playing in the Halford Hewitt
at Deal. He was a member of the Royal
Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club for
many years. In his earlier, Norfolk era,
he was a member at Sheringham. One
midsummer’s day, he and a chum set off at
dawn and played until dark, covering 104
holes – nearly 6 rounds, in 18 hours!
Years later at an OF golf weekend at
Aldeburgh, on the 17th hole, Peter got his
much-wanted hole in one. I was playing in
the group behind, and heard the whooping
and hollering, so guessed what had taken
place. And Peter was over the moon! There
was much champagne consumed that
night!
As well as cricket, rugby and golf, Peter
loved his squash, tennis, real tennis,
croquet and swimming…..and if it rained,
there was always bridge and scrabble!!
Peter, like his father before him, had always
stayed close to the old school, and was
hugely involved with the Society of Old
Framlinghamians over a period of more
than 40 years.
SOF President, Simon Dougherty, writes:
“I remember Peter well as both a trustee
and vice president: His enormous
contribution is recalled by many of his
colleagues.”
Peter Howard Dobson, a co-trustee,
writes:“His wise counsel and knowledge of
legal matters was much in demand, and for
which we all are immensely grateful”.
At Fram he reckoned he was the fastest
sprinter in Stradbroke. But then, along
came one Bill Collard, with his deep
breathing exercises and running spikes
(almost unheard of), and on Sports Day,
Peter just lost by a whisker!
Peter had an aura about him, all to do
with kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness
and humility. His professional career in the
law, over the years, was healthily eclectic,
he successfully indulging in different
disciplines, until becoming deeply involved
with the many aspects of education which
greatly appealed to the kind and thoughtful
person he was. For many years, Peter was
editor of the Law of Education, widely
acknowledged as the leading authority on
education law in England and Wales.
After Fram, we spent several happy years
at Woodford Rugby Club, where Peter
proudly captained the B team. We enjoyed
relatively unfit rugby matches versus other
He had a natural affinity with the written
word, with much of the composition of
his letters and articles on a par with the
likes of Bernard Levin. Jean, has, similarly,