Chris Dobson
Class of 1956
Christopher Frederick Dobson, 1937-2021 (Sing’s, 1951-1956)
The following obituary was kindly provided by Christopher’s son, Andrew Dobson.
“Dobbo” was born on the 21st September 1937 in Harrow. After the war, he attended Orley Farm Prep School where from an early age he was a brilliant ball player. He represented the school in all teams but it was his love of cricket and the art of wicketkeeping where he shone through.
In 1951 he attended St Edward’s Oxford, where he freely admitted this period was the happiest time of his life. He made many life time friends and was extremely sociable. Dad always had a strong sense of justice and became Head Boy in 1956.
At school his love of sport continued and he captained the 1st XV Rugby and was the vice-captain of the 1st XI in Cricket and represented the school in squash. He was one of a very few distinguished sportsmen who then went on to represent the English School boys in both Cricket and Rugby in 1956.
After school he continued his sporting accolade playing for Wasps between 1955 – 1966. He was elected a playing member of the MCC in 1959 and played against Holland and Ireland at Lords. He was a match manager for the MCC between 1960 – 1980.
He was elected to the Free Foresters in 1961 and toured Holland between 1965 – 1971 being the match manager in the last three years. He was appointed an honourary member of the Flamingo cricket club and made many friends in Holland because of cricket. He match-managed for the Free Foresters between 1964 – 1989 and during this last year I had the honour of captaining St Edwards 1st X1 against the Free Foresters, with Dad captaining the club. It was a fitting draw and just as well, as neither of us would have let the other forget a loss!
He was also a playing member of De Flamingos, The Frogs, The Privateers, The Grasshoppers and St Edward’s Martyrs. Dad once told me that he had played 65 games of cricket in one season! In the 1960’s he often recounted the two-day game he played in Winchester where he slept in his Morris Minor to find a bottle of milk had been left by the milkman next to his car in the morning. A much more gently bygone era.
After school he trained as an officer cadet at Sandhurst and undertook his national service with the Middlesex Regiment and rose to 2nd Lieutenant. He was posted to Germany and Cyprus on active duty in 1959.
On his return he spent 2 years at Guys Hospital training to become a dentist but soon realised this wasn’t for him. He then joined a firm called Weddles specialising in leather goods and became a successful Trader. He then joined one of the largest Leather firms in the country Garner Booth Plc. Over the following few years he became their main Group International trader and rose to main Board Director. By all accounts he was a brilliant trader as he not only understood the intricacies of a trade but he knew his product inside out. His main strength was that he got on well with all the suppliers and often they became life long friends.
His job meant that he saw the world. He travelled to Japan, France, Turkey, Italy and New Zealand where he recounted that he was dropped off on a glacier on his own for over an hour whilst the pilot of the small plane went and picked up other passengers. He said that he never felt so small and quite terrified listening to this glazier cracking around him.
His main passion in life though was cricket. He became the Honourary Secretary of the Free Foresters in 1993 and then the President a few years later and during his period in charge he rescued the dwindling membership and turned it round for the next generation to take it to where the club is now – in a healthier place.
He was a very gentle funny man, who enjoyed his home comforts. He had the ability in both business and life to relate to everyone no matter your status, your race or your sexuality. He wore his heart on his sleeve but would always help people where he could. Status or conformity didn’t matter to him. He hated arrogance.
Throughout his innings there have been some orthodox straight drives.
There have been some unorthodox late cuts.
He has run hard between the wickets.
He has supported his different partners.
He has feasted on lunch, tea and drinks afterwards,
He survived a number of strong appeals.
He hit a number of sixes, fours and nicked a few singles.
Now finally he has been caught in the deep.
“Raise your bat Dobbo – 83 is a great innings, particularly for a wicketkeeper”.
Kind Words
Oh dear! What terribly sad news! It suddenly struck me late in the night of 23rd December, ‘Where was Chris Dobson’s Christmas card?' Fearing the worst, I googled ‘Chris Dobson, cricketer’ and I found Andrew’s touching and evocative obituary. I had no idea — I don’t look out for the notices in The Times and The Daily Telegraph, where surely I must have read of his passing earlier in the year.- Stewart Francis (Sing's, 1951-1956)
Chris was my friend from our time in Sing’s, 1951-56, at Teddies. When I sent him my Christmas card this year I suggested that we meet for lunch in London. I also added: ‘I still miss Martin’, referring to our mutual friend Martin Oldaker, who died two years ago. Martin was captain of cricket in 1956, with Chris vice-captain. There is an irony that I played cricket for the first XI for three years, but just missed being given my colours in my last year,1956. Instead, the colours for the final place went to another boy [name well remembered, but not relevant for these notes]. I never forgave the Warden, Frank Fisher, about this. I heard it said of Mr Fisher that 'he had a finger in every pie’. Sure enough, he got involved in this matter and somehow intervened so that the other boy was given his colours. What made me especially sore was that that boy had another year at the school.
All this may not be relevant for these memories of Chris, but I include it as it shows how close I was with him over cricket — a game we both had a passion for and in which he excelled.
I feel privileged to have had as good friends for many years two such notable OSEs: both school prefects and head of Sing’s House; one, captain of cricket; the other, head boy, captain of rugby and vice-captain of cricket. Whereas I was merely a house prefect and without first team colours in cricket or any other game!
In his Christmas cards Chris used to say ‘See you at Lord’s; I’ll be there on the second day of the Test v [whatever the touring side was]. I’ll be sitting the Warner Stand . . . '
We were both members of MCC, but met only rarely on those occasions, despite Chris’s kind open invitation. But once when I was sitting next to him there, I said that Prior, England’s wicket-keeper ‘doesn’t look like a real keeper. He doesn’t have those soft hands that ‘give’ as he takes the ball, like you used to have’. Shortly after this, Prior took a brilliant catch, and we laughed.
Chris invited me to his 60th birthday party and another party. I fear I did not reciprocate his hospitality, but I did say at various times ‘We must meet at Lord’s for lunch or elsewhere in London.’ But it didn’t happen. Regrets!
I remember — but only vaguely — that after we both had left Teddies, we attended a college in South London for a course in science. This was when I was planning to follow my father’s and grandfather’s footsteps as a doctor. But it was a mistaken idea, as I ended up as a schoolteacher. I guess this was at a time Chris was aiming to be a dentist.
Chris was always generous in his praise of whatever success I achieved in my career. But he never spoke of his own career successes or indeed of his outstanding sporting successes. In this way he truly ‘gave’ in an outgoing, selfless way. Nevertheless I was well aware of his pride in being President of Free Foresters.
Another memory goes back further, when we must have been aged about thirteen, when I had a meal with him and his father, whom I remember as Major Dobson.
He was a warm, genuinely friendly man, whom I will miss greatly. He was of neat, meticulous habits, and I relished his Christmas cards — always a lovely card, with a neatly written and kind message and the envelope addressed in his unmistakeable hand.
I recall that the archivist at SES, whose name I regret I can’t remember, was fond of Chris and thought of him as the conduit for all news of former Sing’s boys.
My deep condolences to Ann, Andrew and Chris’s family.
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