A Tribute to Robert (Jock) Pattman (W 68-73) from OS Barry Smith (W 69-73)

‘I was saddened to see that Robert ‘Jock’ Pattman had passed away. There are some people you meet who you never forget and Jock was one of those. As a Scotland and Glasgow Rangers fan, he would have loved Scotland’s recent and spectacular qualification for the World Cup, but wouldn’t be so impressed with Rangers’ performances.

We were both in Winder House and on the School running team in the early 70s. Jock was  a maverick but he was kind and we had some good fun. I want to pick out three instances:

In a closely fought race at Ampleforth in 1972, Jock won the race helping us win the match. He was very modest about it and more interested in the performance of others than bragging about his own performance.

In 1973 I was sent to the Sanatorium with a temperature of 105(!) and told I could not run in the Ten Mile, my only chance to run the race. Within 24 hours Jock was knocking at the Sanatorium window offering me an ‘escape route’. After a week I finally got out and Jock suggested we run the Ten Mile together to show I was fit to run the race. We had a great run round the course in 1 hour 17mins but breaking the rules didn’t impress the Housemaster!

My most lasting memory of Jock was the Blue Ribbon in the summer of 1973. Jock decided that three of us should run it including John Bullock who was a natural sportsman but not a recognised runner. Jock coaxed him round the Ten Mile, the Three Mile and most of the way up Winder in an excellent time before Bullock broke down. Jock was determined he should finish and they spent a long time arguing near the top of Winder as any chance of a good time slipped away. But Jock was like that. He cared more about others than himself, and added colour to our lives at Winder House in those days over 50 years ago now.

I haven’t seen Jock since Sedbergh but very much hope he had a good and enjoyable life’