Mr Jeremy Layton Hurry Riches

Died 23rd October 2022.

Jeremy Riches (Segar’s, 1951-1955).

The following obituary was kindly provided by  Jeremy’s son, Philip (Sing’s, 1987-1992).

Father to Philip Riches (Roll no. 08922) and Edward Riches (Roll no. 09046) and uncle to Anthony Riches (Roll no. 09494) and Anna Maxwell (Roll no. 11553).  

Jeremy joined Teddies in 1951 and made a lifelong friend in Bindon Plowman (also Segars 1951-1955), with whom he subsequently went on various adventures, including bicycling around France. Jeremy had fond memories of Teddies, including of rowing, of ice skating on a frozen Port Meadow and of questionable school food. He regularly attended Teddies events in later years and he sent his two sons, Philip and Edward, there, and a nephew and niece also followed. Jeremy’s father, General Sir Ian Riches was a governor of the school.

 

Following Teddies, Jeremy went into National Service with the Royal Navy. Jeremy took part in Operation Musketeer, the 1956 Anglo-French campaign to capture the Suez Canal (alongside the Israelis) from General Nasser: quite an initiation for someone fresh out of school.  He also served on HMS Warrior during Operation Grapple – the programme to detonate Britain’s first H-Bomb at Malden Island and Christmas Island in 1957-1958 – and vividly recalled the first test and the “blinding flash”, despite the crew’s backs being turned, while sitting on the flight deck with their hands over their closed eyes. 

 

This was followed by an onward circumnavigation of the globe onboard HMS Warrior, crossing the equator a number of times, with various goodwill and diplomatic stops in far-flung locations. The nuclear tests and onward voyage are memorably recorded in “H-Bombs and Hula Girls” – the recently published account of the tour put together by the midshipmen onboard, including Jeremy. A particular highlight appears to have been the stop in Buenos Aires, which involved a whirlwind of parties and glamorous events, including a chance to stay on an estancia outside the city and to ride polo ponies (a first and last for Jeremy, who despite spending his life surrounded by horses due to his family’s love of them, always had a slightly more questioning relationship with them, often being on the receiving end of nips or hard bites when his concentration lapsed).

 

Following National Service, Jeremy qualified as a solicitor in the Midlands firm of Fowler, Langley and Wright and established their office in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. He built a successful practice there, attending to a varied and fascinating clientele, including much of the Shropshire landed gentry and farming community. He was a stalwart of local life, helping to run many local initiatives, including the Burwarton Show, one of the longest-running and largest agricultural shows in the country. He was also very involved with St John’s Ambulance and, in later life, as a trustee of the Prince’s Trust, helping disadvantaged West Midlands young entrepreneurs establish themselves in the world of business. He also served for many years on the board of the New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

 

Jeremy was passionate about gardening, with impressive results, sometimes hosting, along with his wife, Sue, open garden days. His other great passion was beagling and he served as Master of the Staffordshire Beagles and later of the Derby, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire Beagles for a number of years. He was an outdoors man to the very end, enjoying hillwalking, running on occasion (completing the London Marathon in 1982) and bicycling (including, on retirement, from the North to the South of France with Sue). Just a month before he died, he and Sue spent a happy few days walking and cycling around the Channel Islands.

 

Jeremy married Sue in 1967 and together they enjoyed a wonderful family life in Pattingham, Staffordshire, with 3 children and, by the time he died, 6 grandchildren.

 

Jeremy died on 23 October 2022 of a heart attack while out walking his dogs with Sue.

 

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