Latest news with #CorpusChristiCollege
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EastEnders composer SIMON MAY reveals how he clawed his way back from a tour that nearly broke him
Simon May not only penned the theme tune to EastEnders, but also composed the music for Howards' Way, Eldorado and Crossroads, as well as a string of hit singles, writes Dan Moore. The composer, 80, started his career, after graduating from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, as a modern languages and music teacher, before catching the eye of BBC producers with his co-written musical Smike. This led to EastEnders where he also penned the chart-topping Nick Berry single Every Loser Wins. A father of four, Simon lives with Rosie, his wife of 50 years, in Guildford, Surrey. He is currently considering new venues for his popular musical, Rick!, which is based on Washington Irving's classic story, Rip Van Winkle. What did your parents teach you about money? My father, Don, ran a furniture business. He was an altruist and philanthropist who was more concerned about his customers than making a profit. With this in mind, I'd say the best advice I got from my father and mother, Eileen, was that money is not the most important thing in the world. In a way, I wish they had felt more able to give me the experience of their lives, even when I was doing well. Advising me to save in the good years for the lean times would have been welcome, but they just didn't think like that. I've tried to make up for that with our children. Was money tight when you were growing up? My brother, Michael, and I had a reasonably comfortable upbringing. We weren't wealthy but we were not short of a roof over our heads, food or an education. As a child, my parents made sacrifices to send us both to public school in Wiltshire – Dauntsey's School. They prioritised our education and we benefited so much. What has been your biggest money mistake? It was a massive financial mistake on my part. I personally financed a concert tour for the Simon May Orchestra through my company. We booked Drury Lane Theatre and Fairfield Halls in Croydon, among others. The result was that we lost an eye-watering six-figure sum. Have you ever struggled to make ends meet? Yes, due to that tour, and to say Rosie and I were struggling would be an understatement. It was a very stressful 12 months. We had to sell our home, a beautiful thatched cottage, when our youngest was three and the oldest 13. It was a great life lesson and I became far more budget conscious. What was the best year of your financial life? Undoubtedly 1986 – EastEnders had been released and Howard's Way was massively popular. I also had a string of chart hits including Every Loser Wins, Marti Webb's version of the Howards' Way theme and Anita Dobson's EastEnders single Anyone Can Fall In Love. We had a few nice holidays off the back of our success, and we bought our home for a song – as in the songs paid for it! What was your best financial decision? To invest in our children's education. They went to state and independent schools, which gave them a balanced education. What is the most expensive thing you bought for fun? An original Wurlitzer jukebox, which has pride of place in our kitchen-lounge. I bought it in 1970 for the equivalent of £10,000 in today's money, just before I met Rosie. When she moved in, 90 per cent of the records on it were my hits and recordings. Just like my wardrobe was packed with my clothes. Over time, I found that all the records on the jukebox were Rosie's and all the wardrobe space was taken up with her clothes. Do you save or invest in the stock market? I am a reformed spender. Rosie has Premium Bonds, while I have recently opened a cash ISA into which I deposit money each month by direct debit. I taught for many years and had a teacher's pension, but I had to cash it in one year when all four of our children were in private education. Now my pension is my copyrights for EastEnders, Eldorado and so on. Do you own property? We have just moved into a lovely two-bed apartment which overlooks the centre of Guildford, with a tiny mortgage. When we moved from the nearby village of Bramley, I went through the ceremony of cutting up all my credit cards – apart from my American Express, which is handy when we go on holiday. What is the one little luxury you treat yourself to? Instead of three weeks in an average hotel, we prefer to spend one in a luxury hotel. If you were Chancellor, what's the first thing you would do? I would back off the National Insurance contributions hike and put a heavy tax on crypto dealers and investors' profits instead. Employers should not have to face a crippling NIC levy. I would also stop penalising our farmers, so we are less reliant on imported produce. The Government's policy on farming is the most ridiculous and spiteful policy, apart from putting VAT on private schools. This tax penalises parents who want the best for their children, who, in turn, will greatly benefit the economy in years to come. Starmer has done a sterling job on foreign affairs, but he needs to rethink these domestic matters. What is your number one financial priority? Now that we've moved and our lives are getting more settled, I'd like to get back to speaking publicly with NMP Live. I really enjoy entertaining, and it brings in welcome funds.
The Courier
23-04-2025
- General
- The Courier
Roger Humphry: Errol's 'quiet' environmental champion dies at 54
Roger Humphry, a pillar of the Errol community and a tireless campaigner for the environment and active travel, is being remembered by family, friends and colleagues as a 'truly lovely human being'. The father-of-two died unexpectedly but peacefully in his sleep on Friday April 11 aged just 54. His heartbroken wife, Jane, with whom he shared 25 years of love and laughter, led tributes to a man widely admired for both his deep convictions and his gentle humour. 'Roger and I met in Inverness in 2000, and we married five years later,' she told The Courier. 'We built a life together in Errol after our daughter Eve was born. Our son Sandy followed three years later. 'He was a good man. Kind, committed, and principled – sometimes infuriatingly so, but always true to himself.' Jane recalled the early years of their relationship and the small, memorable moments that defined Roger's unique character. She laughs when she reflects on their wedding day in 2005. Roger insisted his mum collect a compost bin from the recycling centre en route to their wedding. They arrived at the registry office with it on the car roof. 'He had such strong principles,' she smiled. 'He hated the environmental cost of flying, so he went on holiday to Majorca by train while we flew. 'He cycled to work in the snow. He wore clothes from charity shops – to our dismay, sometimes – and yet, he won second prize at last year's Errol Gala dressed as 'Dustbin Hoffman' in those very clothes. 'That was Roger. Humble, humorous, and wholly himself.' Born in San Francisco but raised in Pencaitland, East Lothian, Roger enjoyed a childhood of muddy adventures with his best friend Robin, often playing on the local dump. He had two younger brothers, and the family treasured holidays on Loch Tay. He studied at Cambridge – returning only recently for a reunion at Corpus Christi College – before completing his PhD at Liverpool. A man of broad intellect, he worked at SRUC in Inverness in research and statistics, and occasionally teaching, before settling in Errol in 2006. Professionally and personally, Roger remained deeply committed to the environment. He worried about the climate crisis but tried to make a real difference at a local level. As a volunteer, he was the driving force behind local sustainability initiatives, including fruit tree planting along Gas Brae and the installation of bike racks around the Carse. He even pressed the council to build a seating area outside Errol's pub. 'He thought globally and acted locally,' Jane said. 'Wherever we walk in the village, we see his legacy – trees he planted, paths he helped create, the traffic calming outside the school. He was everywhere, but in the quietest way.' Indeed, few in Errol will not have met Roger – at the bowling club (where he played everything but bowls), on the football pitch, or wheeling the family's table tennis table up the High Street in winter so the games could continue. He was also an Explorer Scout leader, encouraging young people through camping trips, cycling adventures, and even a 'Bus Monopoly' challenge to promote public transport. He also sang with Carse Voices and helped out regularly with Cistern Green Community Wildlife Garden and Orchard. A keen cyclist, he helped set up Kidical Mass Perth and Kinross, which runs family-friendly bike rides to campaign for safer streets. The loss has been felt deeply across the village and beyond. Errol Community Council, where Roger served as vice chair, expressed its grief. 'We will miss his enthusiasm, his integrity and his ability to communicate well with everyone,' it said in a statement. 'Over the coming weeks we will consider how we can mark his achievements but at the moment we want simply to reflect on a lovely man and on the work he has done for our community. Our thoughts are with his family.' The Perth-branch of the Scottish Greens, where Roger served as co-convener and vice convener, called him the 'unwavering conscience' of the branch. 'Roger lived his beliefs,' said Jill Belch of Perth Greens. 'A committed environmentalist and active travel advocate, Roger was the unwavering conscience of this branch, a truly lovely human being; kind, witty, intelligent and wise, reminding us of our role as both a local party, and as individuals. 'He lived his beliefs, adopting Patrick Geddes' mantra 'Think Global, Act Local'.' Ged Church of the Highland Cycle Campaign echoed those sentiments, remembering Roger's years in Inverness before moving to Errol. He joined the campaign around 2000 and served as secretary until 2006, producing the first cycle map of Inverness. 'Roger attended many consultations and events and was never afraid to confront contentious issues which he did with unfailing courtesy and reason,' said Ged. 'His interests were much wider than cycling. Community projects and activities absorbed him whether football, Scouting, planting fruit trees or community council activities and he was a relentless, reasoning advocate and activist for measures to address climate change and biodiversity loss. 'We have received a number of tributes to him all attesting to his dedication, inspirational quality, humour, inclusiveness and kindness.' Whether helping build footpaths, planting orchards, or organising apple pressing events, Roger never sought recognition. His activism was personal and tangible. He recently bought a small woodland near St Madoes. He had plans to plant new species for wildlife and food, and to create a space for young people, like the Scouts, to explore and learn. That's what he loved – creating something lasting. At SRUC, colleagues remembered a man whose intelligence was matched by his warmth. 'Roger was deeply valued across SRUC, particularly by colleagues in Inverness,' read a statement. 'His professional expertise, approachable manner and cheerful nature will be greatly missed.' Perth & Kinross Scouts also paid tribute to his impact as a volunteer Explorer Scout leader. 'Roger was always keen to find out what our young people wanted from their Scouting experience and helped organise many camps and trips as part of Explorers, including taking part in the Monopoly run in London,' the Scout group said. 'All of our thoughts and condolences are with his family at this sad and difficult time.' Perhaps Roger's greatest achievement was not the countless initiatives he began, nor even the policies he championed, but the way he made people feel – heard, included, and inspired. Messages from friends in Inverness echo this sentiment. 'A great guy. A vital person,' one friend wrote. 'Our world is all the poorer for Roger's passing – his personality, his intellect.' 'Such sad news,' wrote another. 'An admirable and good man.' Roger Humphry is survived by his wife Jane, daughter Eve, 20, son Sandy, 17, and his mum Kathy. Jane added: 'As a family, we would like to thank everyone in Errol and beyond for the kind words, generous support, and large amounts of cake since Roger died. We are heartbroken, but so grateful.'
