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exclamations of horror that the players were allowed to tackle each other so hard, he spent the rest of the match observing the behaviour of seagulls on the neighbouring pitch.
After qualifying from the RVC in 1946, he spent a short period working in Wallingford, in the large animal practice attached to the College, and that was where he met his future wife, Barbara. Shortly afterwards he moved on to work at Coopers, mostly in Berkhamsted, with a three-year period in South America thrown in. Given the age of the family at this stage, this was pretty adventurous of him and Barbara.
In the second half of his career, Barrie was a Home Office Inspector, inspecting animal research establishments. I saw him in action a few times, and he had a lovely mix of care for the animals blended with curiosity for the science and pragmatism to allow the scientists to make progress.
Words were something that fascinated him, too. He wrote numerous poems, including odes for the retirement of all his colleagues at the Home Office. In later years, he was a proof-reader for the Journal of Comparative Pathology.
Barrie was often an early adopter or even trend-setter. One of my sisters reminded me about ‘take your daughter to work’ – this became a ‘thing’ in the USA in the late 1990’s – but Barrie had been doing it since the 1950’s. Sitting on a bench watching him post-mortem a lamb is one of my earliest memories, and certainly one of the most formative.
Barrie was a proud alumnus of the RVC, continuing to attend reunions of his College year until the last few years of his life.
Barrie leaves behind four daughters, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
MICHAEL ESSLEMONT- PALMER (2016)
Michael Charles Esslemont-Palmer, formerly Michael Charles Esslemont, aged 29, passed away peacefully, after a brief battle with bowel cancer, on Wednesday 10th July 2019 in Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, surrounded by his family after having married the love of his life, Chris, from his hospital bed 16 hours earlier.
Michael was born to Mark Esslemont and Melanie Watson on the 25th August 1989 in Reading. At the age of five, Michael was sadly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, however Michael, or ‘Mike’ as he was better known to his loved ones, proved to be one of life’s fighters, refusing to let a life-long illness define him.
Mike developed a love for animals at an early age and it was this passion for animals that shaped his future. After studying at Valance School in Westerham, Kent, Mike went on to graduate with a foundation degree in Veterinary Nursing from the RVC in 2016. Mike was so committed to studying in the industry that shortly after graduating he enrolled at Harper Adams University as a mature student with an aspiration to become a fully qualified Veterinarian.
Mike worked as a Locum Veterinary Nurse at multiple veterinary practices in the UK including Fitzpatrick’s, Village Vets & Vets Now doing what he loved the most, caring for critically injured animals. On two occasions in 2016 and 2017, Mike got the opportunity to work with endangered animals in their wild, natural habitat by volunteering at the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary in South Africa – an experience which he loved and considered a career highlight.
Mike loved travelling, citing South Africa’s Kruger National Park as his favourite place in the world. Originally due to undertake a once in a lifetime three week road trip across Canada this summer, Mike’s ambition and enthusiasm to see the world was very infectious.
Mike will be remembered as a truly selfless, caring, loving, compassionate and inspirational man, who managed to touch the hearts of so many people. A private cremation was held for Mike at the Kent & Sussex Crematorium in Royal Tunbridge Wells, the town he grew up in, on Friday 26th July 2019.
Donations may be made in memory of Mike directly to the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary in South Africa: www.careforwild.co.za
STAFF
WILLIAM DEREK
TAVERNOR
A man of action who gave the impression that he always knew where he was going
William Derek Tavernor was born in 1930 in Stockport, Lancashire, and was raised there up to the age of 18. He never forgot his northern roots.
Conscripted for National Service, he was commissioned into the King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) and posted to Trieste, but obtained an early release, having won a scholarship to study veterinary medicine. He travelled daily to Liverpool university on his James 125 cc motorbike. As an undergraduate, he won the Edwards Prize and was president of the Liverpool University Veterinary Society.
After graduation, his first job was in the practice of Anderson and Bugg in Aylesbury. It was there that he met Susan, his wife to be.
In 1957 he took up an appointment at Glaxo Laboratories, working in the field of virology and the safety testing of polio vaccines. From there, he quickly moved into academia, becoming a lecturer in surgery at the RVC, which at the time was sited at Streatley-on- Thames. At the RVC he came under the influence of two great men – Clifford Formston, professor of surgery, and Emmanuel Cipriano Amoroso (‘Amo’), professor of physiology. Clifford nurtured Derek’s career as an anaesthetist. In this role, he became a great favourite with the students, who knew him affectionately, from the advice he gave repeatedly, as the ‘don’t panic’ man.
Amo guided him through his PhD, which he successfully completed in 1966; he became a fellow of the RCVS by examination the following year.
In 1970 Derek joined the Home Office Inspectorate and it was at this point that his career took a stellar turn. He filled, with distinction, a wide range of leadership,
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