EARLY CHILDHOOD

Mervyn Ronald Keeble, Grandpa, Dad, you may had a nickname for him and he for you, was born in 1944, in Ilford, Essex. His Mother Doris was a primary school teacher and father, Victor worked for British Gas. Dad grew up at 2 Wincanton Gardens, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex. Born an only child and under the law of food rationing until it was lifted in July of 1954. Dad also narrowly missed National Service conscription which ended in 1960.

MUSIC AND EDUCATION

He attended Parkhill School, Ilford County High School for Boys and Chigwell School, sixth form to pursue music. However, Mervyn nearly failed an important entry exam to get in to one of these schools’, perhaps not fully appreciating the significance of the exam he was sitting! One of the questions was about the colour of a tree and required Mervyn to simply put the answer ‘green tree’, but Mervyn, being Mervyn, thought how stupidly obvious the answer was and, instead, put the answer down as ‘yellow tree’. When the results were studied, Doris had to then go in to Mervyn’s school and, in Mervyn’s word’s ‘plead’ with the school to not let this poor judgement on his account affect his likelihood of getting a place at his next school. Fortunately for him, he did and his education and passion for music grew from there.

In his teens Mervyn was a very committed member of the Essex Youth Orchestra with distinguished conductors such as Sir Charles Mackerras. He participated in a trip to Holland. At that time he counted John Lill (concert pianist) amongst his friends. Mervyn shared with Julian, on a number of occasions, a time when he played oboe on a Pinewood Studios set. The film ‘Raising the Wind’ starred, none other than, Terry Thomas and Kenneth Williams.

Mervyn studied at Bristol University and played in the University Orchestra and met Mary who was in the University 32 Choir under Professor Willis Grant. Mervyn had a passionate love for light music as well as classical. It was his regret that his music course was so academic and classical.

From Bristol he then attended Westminster College in Oxford, at that time a Methodist teacher training college and subsequently taught music to students there under John Cockshoot. His flexible timetable meant he was able to conduct peripatetic oboe teaching at New College School, Summer Fields School, Bloxham School and Christchurch Cathedral School here in Oxford and also planned and laid out his garden!

He conducted the Burford Orchestra – 1970s-82. Mervyn taught at St Edwards School for two years at the time Julian was born – 1972. Then was responsible for music at Bartholomew’s School, Eynsham until his retirement. In addition to teaching and organising yearly school music concerts Mervyn also assisted pupils to form ‘Fatal Attraction’ - A trio girl singing group that performed at the Oxford Youth Proms in 1994. Mervyn created the cover tracks to accompany the singers and promotional material as well.

Mervyn developed a cutting edge music IT lab at school – using keyboards & synthesizers etc. He also gained an Oxford Polytechnic Curriculum Development qualification in 1986 based around music technology.

Mervyn played oboe in the Oxford Studio Orchestra and in Abingdon Operatic Society musicals over many years. ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ was possibly one of his favourites. He also played and taught oboe at home.

Mervyn had a varied collection of musical instruments at home including a saxophone, maracas, violins, guitars, tin whistle, a decorative auto harp and even a double bass! Not to mention a baby grand piano and his oboe from his youth. Years later he bought a gold plated French Lorée oboe that when he played it, it sounded beautiful!

Music that particularly inspired Mervyn - Rachmaninov second symphony, music by Delius and Mahler. Julian remembers listening to Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev as a child and the dramatic tension in the music which wasn’t the most relaxing music he heard while trying to get to sleep! Mervyn played the piece of music ‘Morning’ by Grieg – early on the sunny morning day that he was born.

Mervyn and Mary recall happy memories of driving along small country lanes in Dad’s car while listening to The Carpenters, The Beegees, Kate Bush and even the Star Wars theme tune - disco version!

Later in life Mervyn became good friends with the acclaimed composer John Veale who lived in Woodeaton, a neighbouring village, until John’s death.

Mervyn also loaned a grand piano to Islip Village Hall where it resides to this day.

HOBBIES AND HOLIDAYS

Mervyn inherited practical gifts in home-making from his father and in 1967 Mary and Mervyn got married and moved in to Lakeside, North Oxford. One outstanding practical skill was his gift for photography, setting up a photographic studio in Lakeside in their living room where he developed film to print using equipment in his own home-made dark room. He had a keen eye for detail and on one occasion photographed a group of people on a seafront promenade and their silhouette made an impressive horse shape.

Mervyn worked with his hands on all sorts of DIY projects from building a Schreiber fitted wardrobe to tinkering with his Grandfather Clock until diabetes restricted his dexterity. Mervyn showed talents in creativity, both in music composition, performance and in the graphic design of CD music labels and cases that looked most professional.

Years ago Mervyn created a video promoting Bartholomew School and whilst on holiday in Innsbruck, used a blend of Cine film – and sound equipment at a time when technology was not very easy to use. Later on he used Super 8 cameras.

Mervyn owned a Hasselblad camera (similar to one taken to the moon!), Nikon, Canon and a pair of Panasonic digital cameras.

Mervyn never grew out of his child-like wonder at seeing the world and shared hobbies with Julian and Ben that included radio controlled cars, boats and planes – also Gas cylinder and large elastic band powered planes as well. On one birthday occasion Mervyn presented Julian with a plane he’d build which they took to a meadow to fly. It crashed irreparably on its maiden flight and he felt guilty about it, but Julian didn’t really mind, he was impressed Mervyn had made it for him in the first place! Julian also recalls Mervyn’s Fleischmann model railway featuring tunnels, automated points, life-like railway stations and trees that all took up half of his loft!

Mervyn created elderflower wine from berries and grew various vegetables and fruit in their garden at Lakeside – onions, chives, runner beans, gooseberries, blackcurrants, etc.

Mervyn taught Julian and Ben how to shoot an air rifle and pistol at a target, to be still and focused.

Later in life Mervyn researched his family tree connections and went as far back as the early 1700’s. He also had an interest in nostalgic food – hogs pudding, black pudding, home-made ice cream and a taste for good strong coffee!

Cars
Various cars that Julian remembers Mervyn drove included a Renault 20 and 30, Volvo estate, Mercedes 190E.

The Sea

The sea really inspired Mervyn from an early age, particularly books about deep sea diving and this love of the water would continue to inspire him for many years.

Mervyn wrote an article in his school magazine ‘The Chronicle’ called ‘Underwater Swim’. In which he describes one such dive.

Mervyn lived life to the full in pursuit of adventure with no sign of trepidation when he was out at sea – confronting an octopus during an evening dive. His diabetes was the main reason he was prevented from carrying on this hobby. On numerous occasions Julian recalls watching Mervyn head off far out to sea wearing a wet suit, flippers and snorkel.

Many of the happiest photos of Mervyn as a child were taken of him in the sea. Mervyn encouraged Julian to take swimming lessons and he would later compete in swimming gala competitions as a result.

Many happy weekends were spent pottering about on boats on the lovely River Thames, ranging from a pram dinghy, 14ft Fletcher speed ski boat, a Norwegian Herwa 16 family motor day cruiser aptly named the ‘Mary Mac’, after Mary which later was moored at Sandford-on-Thames. One weekend Mervyn and Julian travelled up and down the Thames and Julian recalls walking on a field one morning in bare feet when it was still dark. However, Julian had failed to notice many slugs he had walked over until he started to return across the field in better light! Fortunately Mervyn came to his rescue!

For a while Mervyn also owned an Enterprise sailing boat that was kept at Farmoor reservoir. Other boats he owned included an Avon inflatable dinghy with an outboard motor that we took on holidays to Pembrokeshire and Devon. Julian has vivid memories of Mervyn and him snorkelling off the side of a dinghy out at sea.

On one occasion Mervyn and Julian were left stranded out at sea when Mervyn hired a motor boat from Ladram Bay (Julian has 2 middle names, ‘Ladram’ named after the bay and ‘Mervyn’ is his other middle name) and they headed out to sea until you could just about still see the main land and then disaster struck, the outboard motor cut out. This happened before the days of mobile phones! The good news though was that they had a couple of oars and began to row towards land. The bad news though that they didn’t seem to be getting any closer to the mainland. After some time they could see a boat approaching and realised it was the man who they had hired the boat from, so they were rescued in the end. Mervyn still had a sense of adventure later in life when he drove his motorised scooter all the way from Islip village to Kidlington and back, which was some distance!

Holidays
Mervyn and Mary enjoyed some holidays in North Wales and Croatia early on in marriage. As a family they enjoyed Christmas, summer and half-term holidays most years at Sidmouth with Mervyn’s parents until they both died.

Mid to late life

It was a sadness and shock to Mervyn that Mary was ill and hospitalised with post-natal manic depression after the birth of Julian and 7 years later after Ben was born.

In 1981 their divorce went through and Mervyn set up home in Islip while Mary lived with Julian and Ben in Grove Street, Summertown, Oxford.

Much later when Ben was 12 Mervyn took over responsibility for Ben’s upbringing when Mary suffered further illness. Julian had flown the nest and headed for Nottingham to study.

Mervyn was immensely fond and proud of Ben and Julian. With Julian embarking on studies in graphic design at degree level and Ben’s degree at Brookes in an area totally new to him – Hospitality Management and Leisure Planning. Subsequently Brookes respected Mervyn’s experience and employed him in an advisory capacity to students. In recent days Julian recalled coming across a folder in one of Mervyn’s filing cabinets simply titled ‘Julian’ it contained pretty much every birthday, Christmas and postcards Julian had sent Dad over the years. Including a postcard sent from Cromer. Strangely, Julian couldn’t remember ever going to Cromer and had to look it up to find out where it was!

10 years ago Mervyn underwent the amputation of his left leg and subsequently lived in a wheelchair, chiefly marooned in his Islip home, except for outings to podiatry and the diabetic clinic. His computer and radio were his main company and stimulation. He listened to Radio 4 programmes most of the time and enjoyed ‘I’m sorry I haven’t a clue’ and was a keen listener of ‘Question Time’. He enjoyed TV dramas and series too.

Mervyn always took time and effort to handwrite every message in Christmas and birthday cards to his family, despite later in life suffering with Trigger Finger - A condition attributed to his diabetes as well as losing a finger to infection and the sadness Mervyn must have felt at gradually not being able to continue to play the oboe, piano or any other musical instrument.

Mervyn rarely complained about his own poor health or acute physical suffering. He had a strength and dogged determination to carry on living as much an independent life as possible, even when his world in later years consisted of his kitchen and living-room. His wish to sleep back upstairs did eventually come true in the last months of his life. He often had projects on the go that occupied his time. At various times later in life Mervyn said he was going to, or had given up smoking. Yet on a number of impromptu visits to his home, Julian would ring the intercom buzzer and Mervyn would let Julian in. Julian would then see Mervyn frantically trying to snub out a cigarette butt in the hope that Julian would not notice. At the same time Julian could clearly see a haze of smoke around Mervyn and see plumes of smoke still rising from a cigarette butt. We all have our faults but on these occasions Mervyn would probably have called them one of life’s ‘little pleasures’ to help him remain relaxed.

Lately Mervyn awaited a cataract operation (after 2 cancelled operation appointments!) and could not read his own mail or use his computer. His patience with simple tasks like phoning for a groceries order was sorely tried. Julian had hoped to show Mervyn photos of his family or some recent creative design he had worked on but this was not to be.

To the casual observer Mervyn was a hoarder. His home looked a mess and he barely threw anything away, despite the best efforts of carers over the years. Many times Julian was tempted to get a shredding machine and work his way through one of a number of piles of old papers but Mervyn would not approve! Though his house was disorganised he was adamant that he knew exactly where everything was.

What a wonderful thing that he was able to enjoy Julian’s two children growing up and to see on the Friday before he died, Ben’s two children. He was so interested in everything they were doing.

It was a privilege for Mary to share time with him fortnightly for the past ten years, and not just time but confidence too.

Sadly his desire to recite to others his memorised John Betjeman poems was never realised. He had the most astonishing ability to recall one poem after another – a great source of comfort for him.

MAN OF FAITH

Mervyn was a man of faith. A faith that helped him to face ongoing physical discomfort from many years suffering from diabetes type 1. Later in life Mervyn followed White Eagle beliefs and hosted prayer meetings at his home in Islip. He also took communion fortnightly in his home administered by Charles, David and Lucy from Islip Village Church. Two local cats became good friends of Mervyn. He mentioned how he felt a spiritual affinity with them. Mervyn even had his own cat in 2000 called Harriet (Harry) but she was a rescue cat and soon became ill and passed away. Harriet was a great companion for Mervyn, his being the only lap she would settled on! To mark the day each year that his mother Doris died, Mervyn arranged for the Islip church flood lights to stay on overnight. Mervyn had a social conscience in giving regularly to the work of The Red Cross.

MEMORIES OF US

Julian remembers happy walks down country lanes holding hands to get milk with Dad from a small shop in Pembrokeshire. Julian and family took Mervyn to Sand Banks near Bournemouth to enjoy a sunny day at the seaside. That was the last time Dad was physically able to travel anywhere with them.

Despite the issues of divorce and seeing Mervyn fortnightly each weekend at his new home he still made Julian feel it was his home too. On Friday evenings Ben and Julian chose a video each from a rental video shop in Kidlington and ate popcorn. ‘Wind in the Willows’ was a memorable cartoon that both Ben, Dad and Julian enjoyed. In recent years Dad recorded it from video onto DVD for us both – very nostalgic.

Mervyn often said how proud he was of Samuel, Isobel and Helen and Julian and Ben’s family too.

Julian recalls times when Mervyn and he would play together in their back garden in the large tractor tyre sandpit at their previous home in Lakeside Avenue. Also Ben falling into a lake at South Hinksey Park while trying to retrieve a radio controlled boat and Dad being on hand to look after him. A seagull stealing Ben’s fish and chips at Ladram Bay and how we rallied round Ben and to give him some of ours.