Tribute to Ron Bailey, 1938 - 2026

Ron and I shared our college years together. We got on really well right from the start and became good, and lifelong friends. We met at Newlands Park College in Buckinghamshire spending two years achieving our Teachers’ Certificates. We both had PE as our main subjects so spent a lot of time in lectures, practical sessions and after lectures in the gym out in the sports field together practicing our gymnastics and rugby skills. We also spent much of our social lives together, sometimes going down to the Merlin’s Cave, a pub in our nearest village, Chalfont St Giles, were we met up with other students and some nice Au Pair girls. We also went off the fairly nearby ladies colleges following up on friendships we had made on College dances when men’s colleges exchanged visits with ladies colleges. Or we would hitch-hike to meet up with nurses at Stoke Mandeville near Aylesbury. We cycled in the locality getting to know the area and we really had lots of fun and spent such a lot of time together. After qualifying at Newlands Park we both decided to apply to Carnegie College for an added year’s course for the Diploma in Physical Education. This was quite near my home in Leeds so I was a day student whilst Ron was resident. He had a good room and I often stayed overnight rather than travel home so spent quite a number of night sleeping on the floor in Ron’s room. We didn’t have quite the same social life together at Carnegie and there was much more to do to keep abreast of college work. I did though spend time with Ron in the swimming pool teaching and training him as this was an area of activity that he was not too keen on, but we got there. After college we both found teaching jobs in different parts of England and we went our own ways. We have however alway kept in touch and followed each other’s lives and we have had occasion visits. I was very grateful when Pat and Ron made it to my 80th Birthday at my home in Mid Wales and it was wonderful to have them here to make my day. I have always been fond of Pat and Ron and I treasure so much sharing Ron those college years and having a very good friendship to help each of us get through those uncertain early days at college and encouraging each other to meet course demands. Whilst we did not meet up that often I did always knew that Ron was there as a good friend, and will now miss him very much. What a huge gap there will be in Pats life and in the lives of all of their family. I offer my deepest condolences to you all. No need to tell you this but what a great chap Ron was. Colin Green