Much has been written in the media and online about Arthur Bowden, who died around a fortnight ago after a fine innings of 92. I put a notification to that effect onto LinkedIn, the corporate social media platform, so that the BWS Diaspora would be aware of the sad tidings. There are around 2,000 connections to my profile, and it is usual to have around 1,000 who read my weekly news update. I have just checked back and to date there have been 11,620 hits on my announcement of the demise of 'Titch'. Such is his pulling power, such was the affection that he was held in by generations of Bishop's Boys from the over three decades that he spent at the school. Comments have flooded in from across the entire globe, and so I thought that after a couple of weeks' gestation I would publish some to a different audience.
"As a lifelong linguist I’ll always be grateful for the rigour of his teaching, and the extra tuition he gave me when I was doing the Oxford entrance paper. He could see what I might achieve and, like many of his BWS colleagues, he would settle for nothing less. He gave me a few b*********s too, none of them undeserved."
"In 1967 I gained an O-level grade 3, much to my surprise, and probably his, thanks to the thorough grounding received at his scary and demanding hands! As a result, in 1993 my French was still good enough to negotiate the purchase of our gite in the Charente, and converse with our monoglot neighbours - once I'd penetrated the local accent! The grounding in pronunciation we received in the first term of C division, all IPA and pronunciation, has stood the test of time."
"Thanks to Mr Bowden my first ever French lesson is as clear in my mind now as it was back in 1971. I need a word that encompasses being scared but hugely respectful in the first moment that you meet someone. Something must have stuck from then as I've lived in France for the past 17 years. If there is an afterlife it will be being kept in order by the arrival of Titch. RIP."
"Mr Bowden was my French teacher through GCSE and A-Level between 1979-86. Like many other pupils we all had a great deal of respect and a little bit of fear of Mr Bowden. His sharp wit and accuracy with the chalk were something to be feared as an 11 year old new pupil. However, as we got older we came to realise what a great teacher and person he really was. He guided us in so many ways through our lives at BWS, supporting us as young adults. I remember him becoming more of a mentor when studying A-Levels and it was during this time that he gave me some advice that has stuck with me to this day. He told me I was “a worrier” and that I should stop worrying too much about things that did not matter. I took this advice to heart and have tried to use it throughout my life. I reconnected with Arthur on email around 20 years ago when he was sending his round robin email summary of the year, and it was great to be back in contact with him in adult life. He was a truly inspirational teacher who has left his mark on many of us (and I am not talking about the chalk scars!)"
"Arthur was a fantastic teacher who left a lasting impression on me. He gave me additional tuition to catch up with French after I moved to Salisbury from Aberdeen in 1983. I remember he used to throw a very accurate blackboard rubber, probably as a result of his rugby skills! A great man."
"Arthur Bowden was a remarkable man. As many have testified he scared the living daylights out of most of us but he was also remarkably kind and generous. Scourge of the feckless and indifferent, he was delightful, witty and charming with those eager to share his love of France, the French and that wonderful country's rich and varied ways. He demanded excellence but understood how to foster understanding. My French was decent enough but under this guidance, and that of his also excellent colleague Peter Bushell, I was inspired to work as I had never done before and went on to study French at university. My sixth form class so enjoyed the care and attention both men lavished on us that we took them at for (a very modest) dinner as a 'Thank You'. Arthur Bowden was exceptionally kind to me. He found me a three month job teaching English in France in my gap year. He even gave me the address of some friends there and popped 100 francs in my pocket as a parting gift. The experience transformed my French and changed my life. Titch Bowden may have been a small man but he cast a big, generous shadow. I'm very grateful for all he did for me and I offer my condolences to his family."
"I have fantastic memories of Arthur. He was so animated and creative when he taught me French and elsewhere at BWS. His sense of humour and Joi de Vivre was incomparable. He once tried to teach me a specific word or phrase by making me eat strawberries - getting my mouth in a particular shape to make the sounds come out right. Always respected - always remembered."
"Arthur was a great man, a real gent and superb company. Totally dedicated to Dorset and Wilts rugby and someone who always talked a lot of sense. A pleasure to have known him."
I don't that I need to add anything really, as the comments give a vivid depiction of the man. The world will move on without Arthur - but it will be the poorer for his loss...
SDS
