————————————————————————————————
Albert’s thoughts to me in response to hearing of Lockcock’s death:
Here’s mine:
I came to know Lowcock through the Willows as we used to participate in various wine and cheese gatherings of young people up at his house. He would join us for a while and then just leave us to our own devices. One early evening when I was there, he asked me to go out with him to get congee for his mother who was unwell. We did and then he offered me one of those deep fried pastry sticks and told me not to worry about what others would say about eating in the streets and that it’s fine to do so. Since the Willows sang a lot of protest songs as was the trend in the 60’s, he once told us that “it is not enough to know what one is against, one has to know what one is for”. Then another time he said that we go to him expecting answers to whatever were bothering us at the time, but that we need to know that he didn’t always have all the answers. Albert told me once that Lowcock answered a question he asked a while back and was very touched that his headmaster had actually taken the time to troubled himself to think over those issues before replying. When the boys realized that Lowcock valued the old classroom desks and chairs over new ones, some of them started to see how nice they were and mentioned seeing carved graffiti by some of the then famous old boys.
I guess what I took away from these memorable words and thoughts were that life is to be lived thoughtfully, to question existing norms and those in power though with a healthy respect for authority at the same time. He knew that fame came too soon for us Willows and asked that we focus on the positives, as well as to value and protect the old and the weak.
