Dr Anthony J Hampshire

(P SH 1940 - 1948)

Kindly provided by Stephen Hampshire, son of Tony Hampshire.

Tony Hampshire died peacefully at home on 11 February 2020, aged 88.

Tony was born on 12 April 1931, in Greenwich. He spent the war years with relatives in Suffolk and Wales, before starting at Wycliffe College, where he excelled, In 1948, Tony won a scholarship to read History at Lincoln College, Oxford, staying on to complete an additional BA in PPE.

Tony spent his National Service with the Royal Artillery in Germany – and enjoyed the experience so much that, once back in London, he signed up as a territorial with the HAC. His days in uniform left him with a rich store of colourful anecdotes and a taste for travel. He joined Metal Box as a trainee in the overseas company, and soon found himself in Karachi, beginning a career that would take him to Lagos, Jamaica, South America and the USA, before settling in Reading.

In retirement, Tony found time to pursue his love of military history – completing a PhD at Kings College London in 2006 – as well as his two other great passions: amateur dramatics and cricket. With Shakespeare Link, he was proud to act both at the “Willow Globe” in mid Wales and on tour, and no summer would be conceivable without regular trips to Lords, where he built a wonderfully warm group of friends.

From Tony’s time at Wycliffe, TWS found this on his Leaving Speech in the Summer Term Wycliffe Star 1948:

Anthony Hampshire said that he had done nothing exciting as a small boy, but he had greatly enjoyed the life of the Junior School at Lampeter. He had found, since entering the Senior School, that Scout Camps were always a happy memory, the one near the Pyrenees being outstanding. The Dramatic Society had been a splendid hobby, and he had enjoyed all his parts. Lit. Soc. had taught him much, but it was a pity that at the moment it was so largely composed of Conservatives ! He had enjoyed every part of school life, even the examinations. He ended with an expression of sincere thanks to all the Staff, and particularly to his former Headmaster, who had also been his teacher of History for the ” Higher ” and for Scholarships.

His Old Order Changeth reads:

Anthony John Hampshire (J.S. 1940, S.H. 1943)• Form— Arts VI (3rd
year). Offices— School Prefect, Head of School House, Pres. and Sec.
Lit. Soc. Editor Star and Review, Rover. Exams.—Entrance
Schol., School Cert. 1045. Higher Cert. 1947, State Scholarship, Open
History Schol. to Lincoln College, Oxford. Sports—2nd XI Colours
1948, 2nd XV Colours 1947-8. Member— Dramatic Soc, Operatic
Soc., Choral, Choir. Prizes—Form in J.S., Sch. Cert., History,
Geography. Higher

Condolences from:

Nick Clack (J H 1938 – 1948)

Although we met only a few times after leaving I have very fond memories of him not least from his two ”Fred”s  in our stage productions, Eynsford Hill in Pygmalion and Frederick in Pirates of Penzance in both of which we enjoyed ourselves hugely.  I also remember him with great fondness “cooperating” between our Houses, Springfield and Hay.

The Scout camps too were always a source of great enjoyment and enlightenment, the Pyrenees being outstanding  so soon after the war.