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IN MEMORIUM
BRUCE PROLE (1955)
Written by Raymond Gee MRCVS BVetStds
Bruce and I were contemporaries at College and of similar ages, born in 1932 and arriving straight from school, whereas many in our year had done National Service. At Camden Town we were in the same extended social group and I recall going to the Epsom Derby with him. In those days Derby Day was on a Wednesday and was a College holiday.
I got to know Bruce a lot better when we moved to the Field Station at Streatley for our final years, as we had been booked into the same ‘digs’- in fact, a large Victorian house in the village of Cholsey, which was some three miles from the College. Another student Colin Finn was living in a caravan in the grounds of the Railway Inn, which was just across the road. At around 9:30 each evening, Colin would fire two rounds into the air from his 12-bore, as a signal that is was time to close the text books and meet for a quick beer and a natter. I remember breakfasting in the cold winter months in a cavernous dining room, which was warmed by a one-bar electric fire. We used to cycle to the College each day, but the winter of 1955 was very severe with snow and frost persisting for several weeks. We both cycled in on a couple of days, but I decided that the local bus was a better/safer option on the icy road. Bruce of course cycled. We were good friends and although I tended to be quite calm and self-effacing, Bruce was the exact opposite always stating his opinion with great confidence.
After we qualified, we, and all our contemporaries, could not wait to get stuck into practice. No worries about work/life balance – everyone I knew really enjoyed being in practice. I used to meet Bruce on RVC social occasions. After I had been in my first practice for a year or so, he suggested that I join him where he was working in a mixed practice in Windsor, whose partners
were Edmund Bowditch and Philip Grime. Bruce had booked accommodation for me in a local pub. I soon moved. Bruce was in his element, as he was allocated the majority of the Greyhound work, which included visits to the local greyhound trainers’ kennels and two race meetings each week at Slough. I used to cover for him when he was absent. This proved to be the beginning of a fascination for the racing greyhound, which was the focus of his very successful career. I too have been involved with the sport since those days and still am.
Eventually, we both left Windsor around the same time – Bruce to East Africa with the Colonial Service – where by all accounts he had a very successful period of service. I married and bought a chiefly Small Animal practice in Hertfordshire.
When he returned to England in early 1966 Bruce was appointed as resident Veterinary Surgeon to the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) at Northaw – not far from where the RVC built their campus. He had veterinary charge of all the dogs belonging to the GRA
– a total of about 600; they raced chiefly at Harringay and the White City. I too had taken over the licenced position at Hendon Greyhound Stadium in NW London. Bruce was usually on duty at White City – adding two late evenings to an already busy life. I was a reserve at White City and called on for holiday cover and such. In fact, I vetted the final meeting at White City – which had been scheduled for a week later. This stand-out multi-purpose venue was sold due to poor financial commitments by the parent company. Harringay had been sold earlier and GRA was no more. Thus, Bruce left in 1985 and, I believe, moved to Essex which always had, and still has, a large number of greyhound kennels. He also worked with horses as he had in Windsor, and was considered very competent in their treatment, in fact he had a paper on equine orthopaedics published in one of the learned publications. From time-to-time, I speak with a friend who was involved with the local hunt – the Enfield Chase, and he recalled that on one or more occasions he approached Bruce for help with arranging veterinary cover. He recalls that Bruce was really helpful, and that the Northaw Races, as the event is now known, was able to go ahead. RVC now covers this event.
I occasionally phoned to seek his advice, or refer Greyhounds for surgery, when he was always most helpful. Occasionally we would lunch together.
Bruce was an innovator in certain surgical techniques in greyhounds. Tarsal and carpal fractures were the most common racing
injuries, and Bruce working closely with various people at RVC including Professor Vaughan – who had filled a less exalted role at Streatley – had developed new methods for their repair, including a synthetic implant for comminuted fractures of the small meta-tarsal bones. He was quite innovative and has a respectable list of published work, including papers in the use of Norethisterone in the Greyhound bitch in 1974, for which he was awarded the Duncan Award, and it took the NGRC 40 years to permit its use.
After he retired, I telephoned him occasionally for a quick chat.... Mind you Bruce’s chats were never quick and more than 68 years of friendship why should they be.
To quote from a tribute in the ‘Greyhound Star’:
“Prole’s uncompromising beliefs upset many, but his integrity, ability and dedication were never in question.”
Bruce passed away in February of this year.
CHARLES BARRINGTON
HART (1946)
Written by Barbara Mortimer, one of Charles’ daughters. Born 22nd May 1925, died 8th February 2019.
'Barrie’ was clearly destined to be a vet from a very early age – there is a family photo of him in his pram, leaning out dangerously towards a passing dog, clearly fascinated. Astutely, his parents bought him his first dog, Mazie, a Scottie, for his 10th birthday. He was still talking about her fondly 80 years later.
At Highgate School during the early part of WW2, he was delighted to be evacuated to Westward Ho! in Devon, where the lack of sporting facilities meant he had to go on nature walks instead. He never really kindled any interest in traditional sports – I took him to a rugby match a few years ago and after initial
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