Dave Jenkins - a personal tribute

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OBA Committee member Mark Sayer pens a personal tribute to Old Bordenian and School teacher David Jenkins, whose death in August 2022 in France has now been reported.

David “Dave” Jenkins 1960-2022   A Tribute to a Dear Friend

Dave and I both joined Borden Grammar in the second-year of 1972/3 (what would be Year 8, now).   He arrived midway through the year and we were both novelties, as we hadn’t had that first-year to bond with the rest of the yeargroup, so we became friends by accident – isn’t that the way of all friendships ?

We weren’t in any of the established cliques.   I remember, in an early PE, that line-up where the nominated captains pick from an ever-dwindling queue.   It was Hockey, that cold, wet, muddy, rainy day – and we were the two default picks at the end, that nobody knew.   We were quarantined to be in goal and defence and, to their credit, the rest of the team were pretty good, so they all bu**ered off to the other end of the pitch, in attack.   We were left to practise our golf-swings and axe-blows, using those bent sticks we had been issued.   Until rediscovered by the teacher, whereupon we spent the rest of the afternoon repairing our divots in the rain !

Dave brought the sport of Fencing to the school.   During the Centenary Fete, Dave set up a Fencing challenge, to raise money, complete with fencing-piste, tipped-foils, full-faced masks, lamés and electric scoring.   I have to brag that I managed to beat him – with zero skill, just pure aggression !

Dating the Headmaster’s daughter in the 6th Form made him somewhat notorious.   Was he a secret agent, or just bloody lucky ?

I remember one day he split his trousers with a rather impressive dorsal-ventral fillet and we sought permission for me to drive him home, to do a hasty surgical-closure with needle-and-thread and save his embarrassment.

Leaving school, everyone drifts apart in their own directions, and in 1978 there was no social media or email, nor even mobile phones, to keep in touch.   Dave had a brief fling with the Royal Navy, which was not for him.   He returned to Borden to teach – so he was a secret agent, after all !   There must be a certain quality that Borden selects, as he devoted his career there, just like his predecessor, John Macrae.   He retired at the end of 2015, with some 34 years of service, and as Head of Science.

Recently, I had been trying to reach out to him to find him, but all that I could find was that he had retired to France.   Time has beaten me.   If there is a salutary lesson, it is not to lose touch.   The Old Bordenian Association underpins that.

I last saw him at an Old Bordenian Association Reunion Dinner, together with other friends from our year.   But far too long ago.

It feels appropriate to adapt a quote from the film ‘Stand By Me’:

Although I hadn’t seen him in more than <forty> years, I know I’ll miss him forever”.  

Think of your friends from your own school days, and fill in your number of years in your quote.   Or, better still, get back in touch.

Cheerio, old fella, and “En-Garde!