WHY ME? Talk by PETER THOMAS; Sunday March 6, 2022
At St George's last Sunday, we heard Peter Wolton say in his introduction to the “Why me?” Lenten addresses that, as children, Peter and I grew up in the same village in Suffolk. In the 1960's my father was
the Rector of Great and Little Saxham with Westley, just outside Bury St Edmunds. The Wolton family lived in the Old Rectory, Lt Saxham, and the Thomas family lived next door.
We have deduced that the connection between our families goes back to 1961. So, when I received a 'phone call from Peter a few weeks ago to chat about the “Why me? ” series, I knew just how persuasive Peter can be.
The thought which flashed through my mind included the opening words of Chaucer's “The Franklin's Tale” which in a free translation reads :
But, brethren, because I am an ignorant man, At my beginning first must I beseech You will excuse me for my simple speech;
In my response to “Why me?” perhaps as the Franklin, I shall be taking you a bit beyond Canterbury, by considering: First, some biographical details and my early years in Wales Life as a lad and a student, both at school and university Early steps in my career leading to a professional career path Inevitably, some of life's ups and downs, and their impact. As background, a few key details about my parents: my father, after his curacy in the Diocese of Monmouth, was called up as padre to serve with the tanks. He landed in Normandy in June 1944 and spoke only sparingly of D-Day plus 2 and its sequel. He was always very grateful for the red cross on his Jeep, as the Allies made progress through Northern France, Belgium into Germany. By war's end he was stationed in Hamburg. There by a miracle, the Anglican Church of St Thomas à Becket was one of the few buildings in the city-centre to have survived, becoming the garrison church for the British forces. It was also the church where my parents were married in early
1948. The story of their meeting is a fascinating one, but at the heart of it, my mother, born in a village on the German / Danish border, and herself of mixed ancestry, had captivating eyes. Those were the first words of German my father learnt. My paternal grandfather, also a clergyman in Wales, was given
authorisation to travel from Monmouthshire to Hamburg to officiate at the wedding, but in the end, he sent a telegram instead. I arrived in December 1948 and, in a bleak January, my grandfather christened me in the country church of Llansoy. It was often said how loudly I cried at my baptism. In my father's new parish of Llanishen I had my first taste of school and church. I know that because of an illustrated book “The Big Book of Hymns and Psalms” with the following inscription : “To Peter Thomas for good attendance at Llanishen Church Sunday School” signed by M E Richards and by my father and dated January 14th 1956. Just the other day I made another discovery : loosely inserted within is a sheet of music of a song entitled “The Book” with words by Paddy Roberts and music by Hans Gotwald. “The Book” is the Bible, “with leaves edged in gold.” The sentiments expressed are authentic. I recall singing the song as a treble, accompanied at the piano by my paternal grandmother, who was a talented pianist, having been awarded the silver medal of the London College of Music in July 1910.
In retrospect, the early influences are evident. Christ's teaching is very clear in Matthew Chapter 19 verse 19 : “Honour your father and mother” and in the same verse, the exhortation that “you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” To honour parents is to show respect and no decision of mine was ever to
cause upset to loved ones during their lifetime. The year 1956 was a marker for another reason : it was the year that my father left parish life and returned to being a padre in the army. It was also the year of the Suez crisis. My father's new base and church were in Aldershot. I have a memory of joining the choir there and singing my first solo: one of the verses of “We three kings of Orient are” at a carol service. It was
also the year that, sharing our Christmas lunch, we were joined by four Hungarian refugees as our guests. The Hungarian Uprising and the soviet invasion of Hungary that autumn had led to some 200,000 Hungarians seeking political refuge abroad. The joy of Christmas seemed absent that year.
One year on and my father had been posted to Dortmund in Germany with the British Army of the Rhein. It was one of the largest garrisons at the time with a church of some capacity. A choir was formed and we sang and played our part every Sunday. I was delighted that my cassock and cotta fitted and
were not oversized – that was my mother's influence. I shall skip to the 1960's when I am a boarder at Ipswich School. I was bi-lingual in German and my oral French was passable. When it comes to my
development, I could not have wished for a better environment or a better Housemaster and Housemaster's wife, than Peter and Margaret Hill. The curriculum was well catered for, ambitions were realistic and surprises mostly pleasant. Life's spiritual dimension also featured, not just in the School
Chapel.
Once interviewed and offered a place to study Modern Languages at Christ's College, Cambridge, I had a condition to meet : to spend six months in Germany and six months in France.
We are all familiar with the words of 1 Corinthians 13 verse 11 : “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I reasoned as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
For the first six months I worked in Hamburg and commuted from my maternal grandparents' house. It was home from home. During my six months' stay in France, in May 1968, there was a Revolution, led by students in Paris, then transformed into a General Strike by the unions. It was a challenging time and marked the end of the Gaullist era.
That autumn, the contrast with College and University life was striking. There's such exhilaration in one's first term - so much to discover and learn, with so much happening. Expectations are high. Studies and tutorials are intense. Vacations take on new significance, with time to concentrate on set texts and wider study. Music was on offer with inspired performances from the Cambridge University Music Society, or other amazing musicians : I recall a visit to Ely Cathedral to hear a performance of Elgar's Cello Concerto by Jacqueline du Pré, with Daniel Barenboim conducting. Truly remarkable.
The University's Christian Union was a bit over-zealous for me, but the College Chaplain, the Revd Derek Watson, who moved on, later to become the Rector of St Luke's, Sidney Street, Chelsea, and then Dean of Salisbury Cathedral, was both kind and hospitable, in the College tradition.
As part of my degree course, I spent one year at Bonn University, and worked as a teacher's assistant at a Senior School in Bad Godesberg – it answered the question: Do I wish to become a teacher? I did not.
After my degree, I gained a background in market research in Continental Europe which led to a wider marketing function with the Times and its supplement Europa. My network included international banks. By the autumn of 1976, I had moved to 54 Lombard Street to work for Barclays International.
It was my ambition to work in mainland Europe which drove me to join a small Mergers and Acquisitions team in Paris, one of my favourite cities. Just taking a pleasure trip on the Seine on a sunny day, is a feast for the eyes. The views of Lutèce, that city of light, will gladden every heart.
My next appointment was to Brussels, a functional place, but back then, after Paris, it just seemed like a village. Yet it taught me something about Matthew Chapter 7 verse 15: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”
Now a colleague had entered a time, date and name in my diary, but nothing more about an appointment. Not even a 'phone number. That was unusual, but I proceeded with the meeting.
You may have heard of the Fabrique Nationale, in for example, the FN rifle. The Fabrique Nationale is one of the leading firearms manufacturers, based in Herstal, Wallonia. The man sitting opposite me was an arms dealer, with connections. It was a very brief meeting. Fortunately, it has remained a one-off experience, for the business we did from the Brussels office was predictable.
My next appointment was to Cannes. It could have been a delightful posting, and fundamentally it was. In Isaiah Chapter 5 verse 20 we read: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.”
The Cannes experience strengthened my faith. If it had not been for the supportive Anglican community of Holy Trinity Church, Cannes, and the friendship of the Revd Ian Watts and his wife Dorothy, I doubt if I would have stayed there in post for some 2 ½ years. But while I was there, in October 1984, a wonderful celebration took place in the form of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Lord Brougham, with a consumptive daughter, to the little fishing village of Cannes. He intended to travel into Italy, but he liked the Bay of Cannes so much that he stayed and had a villa built. Others followed, including his land agent. It became the Côte d'Azur.
My dream job was helping to direct a business school which Barclays shared in association with seven European banks. I recall that Peter accepted my invitation to be a speaker. Our focus was on Management Development at all levels. The mix of nationalities and the different organizational cultures meant that the learning was reinforced by the experience itself. If you'll permit the jargon : it was experiential learning. When I returned to London my rôle continued in Management Development to the level of Senior Executive to enable the practice of life- long learning. Having worked with leading business schools and their faculty members, I found that it was an easy step to develop “Guru Days.” The focus was on such subjects as “Creative Thinking,” “Team building,” “Psychometric tools in management” for building on the talents of the individual.
There was not too much of a bridge for me to cross when I retired from banking so that I could spend time running the Kensington and Chelsea Music Society and devote more time to my father.
Essentially, the task of identifying musical talent so that those gifts can be released and appreciated by others is, for me, like another graft onto a mature tree.
I would like to conclude on a note that is so integral to the Christian message: it is taken from Psalm 50 verse 23: “The one who offers thanksgiving honours me. To those who order their way aright, I will show the Salvation of God.”
AMEN