Alun Gareth Jones
March 21st 1941 – October 20th 2012
Tribute Presented at Alun’s Memorial Service at Harvard Faculty Club on December 1st 2012
by Len Threadgold
I am here to represent those who knew Alun at school and University and am honoured to have been asked and grateful for the opportunity to speak about his early years on the other side of the pond.
My last conversation with Alun some two weeks before he died was a real joy. It brought up memories for us both which had remained dormant for many years and reminded me of so much of my childhood and the happiness of that time. It is sobering to reflect that the Second World War was still on in our earliest years, with all the uncertainty that those times held for our parents but of which we were totally oblivious.
Rhyl where we lived on the North Wales coast was a seaside resort, not an industrial town. Our conscious life was really post-war and was a time of optimism and some might say hardship, but I must say that whilst we didn’t have a lot, I cannot remember ever feeling deprived of anything. We never missed love because both of us had that in abundance from our parents and fiends. Parents must have felt relieved that the war was over and that there was a whole new life to look forward to.
We met at Christ Church Primary School (5 to 10 years) which had good local reputation. The head teacher was Mr Williams and his son Gareth was a contemporary of ours (more of that later). One of the key factors in good friendships is a good sense of humour. Apart from normal class room education we engaged in other activities and I particularly remember a Nativity Play in which we were both engaged. On this occasion we took part in a presentation of “We Three Kings of Orient Are”. I brought in the Gold and Alun was to carry my train as I paraded on the stage. We had to do a presentation before the whole school by way of a dress rehearsal prior to it opening at the Town Hall for parents and other notables. After successfully singing my part we paraded off the stage with great pomp but when I took the first step off the front of the stage I slipped and fell down the stairs, thus bringing the solemnity to an end and my abiding memory is Alun standing on the stage behind me doubled up with laughter!!
In our last conversation we were discussing the fact that despite being in England Liverpool was almost regarded as the capital of North Wales (the capital of Wales is actually Cardiff but that is far more difficult to get to because of the mountains!!). We both remembered a school trip when we visited Liverpool with its docks, and the overhead railway that served them, and there was an Aircraft Carrier called the Indomitable in the harbour at that time. Little boys love to climb over these things! However the thing we particularly remembered was a visit to Lewis’s, a large department store (well, large for that time!) and he remembers buying a tortoise there. At that point I realised that he was one of five or six who had done so!! (I bought some mushrooms for my parents so was much safer). Having made an impulse buy he spent much of the remaining time afterwards trying to persuade the salesman to take it back as it was very heavy and he didn’t know whether his parents would approve! He was always a smooth talker and I believe he was successful. Some of the other guys may still have them to this day as far as I know!!
We both passed our “eleven plus” exams and went to Rhyl Grammar School (10 or 11 to 18 years of age) where we seemed to progress reasonably well with Alun generally at or near to the top of the class. I remember that he was particularly proud of the fact that as a member of the Science Sixth he won five pounds in an essay competition on the subject of “Ordinary standards of morality do not obtain in International affairs” and beat Gareth Williams of the Arts Sixth. Gareth was later to become Lord Williams of Mostyn, a High Court Judge, leader of the House of Lords and Attorney General.
Alun was always very musical and played the piano. He was part of a Band which was formed at the school with Roger Nuttall, Alan Nuttall, David Wright and Gwyn Williams. They played at school hops but also realised that they could also play at other venues to earn a bit of cash and did so, that is until the unions spotted them and pointed out the need for appropriate licenses and membership. The extramural activities stopped suddenly. I remember tunes like Tammy being popular for walzes at the end of the performance so that you could get real close to your partner. The band was on the stage above all that of course!!
We were both in the chorus of School operas The Gondoliers and Mikado. Gareth Williams, the son of our former head teacher was also in the cast.
A contemporary and in many of the same productions was Carole Deuitch (neé Harrison) who now lives in Canada . She remembers that despite some damage to feet and shins she and Alun once won a dance completion at the school for Morfa house.
Pub crawls by car to establishments in the hills behind our home town became a regular activity as we grew older. I remember well that the car we used was not the most powerful and I remember that on more than one occasion we passengers had to get out to lighten the load and help to push the car up hill so that we could get to the several pubs, including the Sportsman’s Arms which was reputed to be the highest pub in North Wales.
Alun's father was a teacher at the school and was known as "Dinty". He taught Latin. I wasn't deemed good enough at languages to do Latin so didn't get to know him there but did later when working at a Vacation job. At that stage he had moved to teach at Llanrwst in the Conway Valley and I would meet him on the train as we both travelled to work. He was very generous and I remember him buying me bars of chocolate etc. for the journey. Alun’s Mother was always welcoming and friendly and her friendship and hospitality are fondly remembered particularly by our mutual friend Roger Nuttall who lived in nearby Prestatyn but had to stay in Rhyl sometimes after school before events such as band practice.
I left to go to Liverpool University to study Civil Engineering but Alun stayed on. One year later Alun came to Liverpool University and I joined him in the digs there for a time. Later Alun and I both stayed in the University’s Hall of Residence known as Rathbone Hall which was situated literally at the end of Penny Lane. Little did we know how famous that would become in the years to follow.
Alun became involved with the organisation of events associated with the university’s annual Panto/Rag weeks. As the person dealing with the associated dances which followed he arranged meeting and meals with Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles and was able to negotiate appearances of Beatles at the New Brighton pavilion which was situated on opposite side of Mersey from Liverpool for £69 ( equivalent to $110 at today's rates ) What a negotiator! That was before they had had their first hit single
In those days Alun smoked and I particularly remember him looking real cool with a ciggy and an ability to both breathe smoke out of his mouth and in through his nostrils at the same time.
Alun stayed on at the University to do his Ph D. I did research but having met my now wife moved to London after a year. We kept in touch but met only intermittently after that. He of course moved to America after that and I’m sure that others will take up the story from there.
I regret that I was unable to attend the wedding of Alun and Anne as I couldn’t hire suitable coracle!
Alun didn't make it to the school reunions which we have every 2 years in the UK but they were always at a difficult time of year for him with university and family commitments. We do have a web site for RGS (Rhyl Grammar School) and there are several photos of him on it.
The last time we met him and Tim in the UK he seemed to be his usual self. When you know someone for that length of time you are able to just continue a conversation you may have had many years previously without any inhibitions because you know each other so well. There were of course subtle differences in language which he had developed over the years in a different environment. I remember him asking me a short time after his arrival at our office whether we had a bathroom. I thought to myself, He meets me after so long and the first thing he wants to do is take a bath! Wow! but I knew what he meant!
Alun was a much loved dear friend of many of his contemporaries. His memory will live on with them and this, together with his work and team at Harvard and his lovely and loving family will serve as a kind of immortality. Future generations will benefit. What more can we ask. Thank you so much. Diolch yn fawr Alun bach.
Len Threadgold
Alun Gareth Jones
Alun Gareth Jones
March 21st 1941 – October 20th 2012
Tribute Presented at Alun’s Memorial Service at Harvard Faculty Club on December 1st 2012
by Len Threadgold
I am here to represent those who knew Alun at school and University and am honoured to have been asked and grateful for the opportunity to speak about his early years on the other side of the pond.
My last conversation with Alun some two weeks before he died was a real joy. It brought up memories for us both which had remained dormant for many years and reminded me of so much of my childhood and the happiness of that time. It is sobering to reflect that the Second World War was still on in our earliest years, with all the uncertainty that those times held for our parents but of which we were totally oblivious.
Rhyl where we lived on the North Wales coast was a seaside resort, not an industrial town. Our conscious life was really post-war and was a time of optimism and some might say hardship, but I must say that whilst we didn’t have a lot, I cannot remember ever feeling deprived of anything. We never missed love because both of us had that in abundance from our parents and fiends. Parents must have felt relieved that the war was over and that there was a whole new life to look forward to.
We met at Christ Church Primary School (5 to 10 years) which had good local reputation. The head teacher was Mr Williams and his son Gareth was a contemporary of ours (more of that later). One of the key factors in good friendships is a good sense of humour. Apart from normal class room education we engaged in other activities and I particularly remember a Nativity Play in which we were both engaged. On this occasion we took part in a presentation of “We Three Kings of Orient Are”. I brought in the Gold and Alun was to carry my train as I paraded on the stage. We had to do a presentation before the whole school by way of a dress rehearsal prior to it opening at the Town Hall for parents and other notables. After successfully singing my part we paraded off the stage with great pomp but when I took the first step off the front of the stage I slipped and fell down the stairs, thus bringing the solemnity to an end and my abiding memory is Alun standing on the stage behind me doubled up with laughter!!
In our last conversation we were discussing the fact that despite being in England Liverpool was almost regarded as the capital of North Wales (the capital of Wales is actually Cardiff but that is far more difficult to get to because of the mountains!!). We both remembered a school trip when we visited Liverpool with its docks, and the overhead railway that served them, and there was an Aircraft Carrier called the Indomitable in the harbour at that time. Little boys love to climb over these things! However the thing we particularly remembered was a visit to Lewis’s, a large department store (well, large for that time!) and he remembers buying a tortoise there. At that point I realised that he was one of five or six who had done so!! (I bought some mushrooms for my parents so was much safer). Having made an impulse buy he spent much of the remaining time afterwards trying to persuade the salesman to take it back as it was very heavy and he didn’t know whether his parents would approve! He was always a smooth talker and I believe he was successful. Some of the other guys may still have them to this day as far as I know!!
We both passed our “eleven plus” exams and went to Rhyl Grammar School (10 or 11 to 18 years of age) where we seemed to progress reasonably well with Alun generally at or near to the top of the class. I remember that he was particularly proud of the fact that as a member of the Science Sixth he won five pounds in an essay competition on the subject of “Ordinary standards of morality do not obtain in International affairs” and beat Gareth Williams of the Arts Sixth. Gareth was later to become Lord Williams of Mostyn, a High Court Judge, leader of the House of Lords and Attorney General.
Alun was always very musical and played the piano. He was part of a Band which was formed at the school with Roger Nuttall, Alan Nuttall, David Wright and Gwyn Williams. They played at school hops but also realised that they could also play at other venues to earn a bit of cash and did so, that is until the unions spotted them and pointed out the need for appropriate licenses and membership. The extramural activities stopped suddenly. I remember tunes like Tammy being popular for walzes at the end of the performance so that you could get real close to your partner. The band was on the stage above all that of course!!
We were both in the chorus of School operas The Gondoliers and Mikado. Gareth Williams, the son of our former head teacher was also in the cast.
A contemporary and in many of the same productions was Carole Deuitch (neé Harrison) who now lives in Canada . She remembers that despite some damage to feet and shins she and Alun once won a dance completion at the school for Morfa house.
Pub crawls by car to establishments in the hills behind our home town became a regular activity as we grew older. I remember well that the car we used was not the most powerful and I remember that on more than one occasion we passengers had to get out to lighten the load and help to push the car up hill so that we could get to the several pubs, including the Sportsman’s Arms which was reputed to be the highest pub in North Wales.
Alun's father was a teacher at the school and was known as "Dinty". He taught Latin. I wasn't deemed good enough at languages to do Latin so didn't get to know him there but did later when working at a Vacation job. At that stage he had moved to teach at Llanrwst in the Conway Valley and I would meet him on the train as we both travelled to work. He was very generous and I remember him buying me bars of chocolate etc. for the journey. Alun’s Mother was always welcoming and friendly and her friendship and hospitality are fondly remembered particularly by our mutual friend Roger Nuttall who lived in nearby Prestatyn but had to stay in Rhyl sometimes after school before events such as band practice.
I left to go to Liverpool University to study Civil Engineering but Alun stayed on. One year later Alun came to Liverpool University and I joined him in the digs there for a time. Later Alun and I both stayed in the University’s Hall of Residence known as Rathbone Hall which was situated literally at the end of Penny Lane. Little did we know how famous that would become in the years to follow.
Alun became involved with the organisation of events associated with the university’s annual Panto/Rag weeks. As the person dealing with the associated dances which followed he arranged meeting and meals with Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles and was able to negotiate appearances of Beatles at the New Brighton pavilion which was situated on opposite side of Mersey from Liverpool for £69 ( equivalent to $110 at today's rates ) What a negotiator! That was before they had had their first hit single
In those days Alun smoked and I particularly remember him looking real cool with a ciggy and an ability to both breathe smoke out of his mouth and in through his nostrils at the same time.
Alun stayed on at the University to do his Ph D. I did research but having met my now wife moved to London after a year. We kept in touch but met only intermittently after that. He of course moved to America after that and I’m sure that others will take up the story from there.
I regret that I was unable to attend the wedding of Alun and Anne as I couldn’t hire suitable coracle!
Alun didn't make it to the school reunions which we have every 2 years in the UK but they were always at a difficult time of year for him with university and family commitments. We do have a web site for RGS (Rhyl Grammar School) and there are several photos of him on it.
The last time we met him and Tim in the UK he seemed to be his usual self. When you know someone for that length of time you are able to just continue a conversation you may have had many years previously without any inhibitions because you know each other so well. There were of course subtle differences in language which he had developed over the years in a different environment. I remember him asking me a short time after his arrival at our office whether we had a bathroom. I thought to myself, He meets me after so long and the first thing he wants to do is take a bath! Wow! but I knew what he meant!
Alun was a much loved dear friend of many of his contemporaries. His memory will live on with them and this, together with his work and team at Harvard and his lovely and loving family will serve as a kind of immortality. Future generations will benefit. What more can we ask. Thank you so much. Diolch yn fawr Alun bach.
Len Threadgold