Framlinghamian 2022 - Flipbook - Page 292
SOF | OBITUARIES
fitting, and I was to give the eulogy,
Decline and Fall! Cookie survived run-ins
albeit from a peculiarly Framloccentric
with ‘King RIM’ in genuinely smoke-filled
perspective.
rooms and steely glares from Common
Room colossus, Norman Borrett. He
Michael J. Cooke arrived at Framlingham
caroused with Carruthers and the ghost
College in 1974. He “Came to teach
of Squiffy Thomas, quite literally bouncing
History but brought with him another
down the main corridor walls to his
talent,” writes Bob Gillett in The Second
Stradbroke bed-sit. He witnessed the end
Sixty Years, “a self-effacing cellist and
of ‘shacking’ and the introduction of girls in
pianist, he shared his gift of music as
1976; weathered the storms of ‘87, which
teacher and accompanist.” It soon
blew off the top of the Chapel spire and
became apparent, however, that he was
felled a fir tree across his beloved Morris
also equally willing and able to share his
Traveller. He sung ‘Hallelujah, Mr Suter’
love of literature, poetry, and language
with Marcus Booth and those Ziegele
– French, German, Latin and even a little
Boys, and on one very special occasion,
Greek, as well as his sporting savoir faire.
even dug out his creamy-white flannels
And, up to his official retirement some
to play Common Room Cricket, taking a
forty-three years later, this Man For All
wicket first ball with his peculiar brand of
Seasons continued to inspire both in and
leg-spin, having not turned his arm over
out of the classroom; his sparkling wit,
for a decade or more. Batsman beaten in
erudition and unswerving commitment to
the flight; stumped by Doctor Baird... off
the cause seemingly undiminished by the
a wide!
passage of time... so much so, in fact, that
he was still teaching Latin part-time at the
‘Usual procedures apply:
College only last term!
you must write your reports
Into Word first, then copy and paste;
‘Please find attached the deadlines for
do not
grades and reports
Whatever you do,
For the spring term’s first half
do not put a line between
–as Suzie said,
Your paragraphs
All the grade templates are now available
– some colleagues are still, so please
Available on e-portal – gloomy portal
Please, Suzie,
Except when Suzie’s available in the
whatever you do; remember,
spring
Usual procedures apply.’
And the temps are not late or attached.’
Michael never courted promotion or
During those many years of distinguished
prominence, but on occasion greatness
service, Michael delighted and flourished
was thrust upon him. He was taught by
amidst the hurly burly of College life: a
Monty Python’s John Cleese at Prep
heady mix of the weird, the wonderful and
School and went on to Wrekin College
something straight out of Evelyn Waugh’s
with his brothers, Richard and Martin. In
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