Geoffrey Meadon Obituary

Geoffrey Meadon died earlier this year, and someone has kindly sent me his obituary - he had a fascinating life!

 

Geoffrey Noel Meadon was born 23 December 1944 and sadly died on 31 July 2022, aged 77. He was the son of a civil servant and he and his younger brother, John

grew up in North London. His mother died during his childhood.

He was a pupil at St Paul’s school, London, where he proved to be an exceptional scholar.

He was admitted to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge at the early age of 17 where he graduated in History.

During his time at Cambridge he famously captained his college on an early1960s University Challenge contest.

He won a post-graduate scholarship to Harvard, USA, but his studies were cut short when his previously undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes began to manifest itself and he became unwell.

Back in London, Geoffrey was encouraged by his father to join the civil service and soon gained employment at the Admiralty.

He lived in the Resident Civilian Duty Officer’s Quarters in a suite of rooms on the first floor of the Admiralty Main Building.

This residence was full of Edwardian baroque furniture and was staffed by three messengers and a servant.

Geoffrey later moved to St James’s Place in a flat previously occupied by ‘Bosey’, Lord Queensbury’s son and lover of Oscar Wilde.

When Richard Booth invited Geoffrey to become his Publicity Officer, he moved to Hay-on-Wye where he remained for the rest of his life.

 He worked in the Performing Arts section of the Cinema Bookshop and later ran his own music shop, selling mainly records and sheet music.

 He subsequently turned his talents to indexing books, mostly on shipping and music.

Geoffrey was a Hay institution, a superb conversationalist with a unique sense of humour which endeared him to everybody he met. 

He was a gifted musician and was a founder-member of the Augustus Hare Piano Trio of Hay-on-Wye.

The trio had ‘a pleasing repertoire of 19^th century light music’ and performances were always rapturously received.  He was a bass baritone and sang with gusto in several choirs.

 Geoffrey held a lifelong passion for Brigitte Bardot, Dan Dare of the Eagle comics, Victor Herbert and Vincent Price. He was also partial to the verses of W S Gilbert, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame.

 One of his favourite saying, particularly in the last year of his life, was:

‘I thank whatever gods there be

For my unconquerable soul’

(from Invictus by  William Ernest Henley)

 He was great company and is sorely missed.