“Three Friends Remember Vernon” is published in Spanish and in English…

for 3 good reasons:

1. Vernon chose Spanish at an early age

Vernon chose Spanish (and French) for his “O” levels. As I was checking his papers, I came across his notebooks with his school work: History, Geography, Latin, French, and Spanish.

2. English & Spanish have been our common languages at both home and work

English and Spanish have been the languages we have always used, indistinctively, at home. While English has always been predominant in the workplace for obvious reasons, Spanish has also been essential, if only because we have often translated documents from Spanish into English. Some of our friends are English. Others are Spanish. A few others are French. Most of them speak English and Spanish even if they chose to write here in their mother tongue.

3. POPPIES is a blending of English & Spanish

As you probably know POPPIES is an acronym in English from the initials of Spanish words

Para Vernon

Querido Vernon:

Quién me iba a decir que ese guiri excéntrico con pinta de profesor de Oxford al que conocí hace unos 30 años, gracias a nuestros respectivos hijos, me iba a dejar tantos recuerdos de buenos ratos, veladas musicales, comidas especiadas, vino, conversaciones sobre lugares NO comunes y risas y amigos compartidos.

Gracias por las obras, autores e intérpretes que me descubriste y por las horas que compartimos escuchándolas, a veces con el enfado de los demás, porque no les dejabas (dejábamos?) hablar un poquito.

Viejo cascarrabias, niño grande, ya te echamos de menos.

Tu “melófona” amiga

Concha

To Vernon

Vernon, you were a true and generous friend. Always happy to receive visitors, share experiences and debate whatever had caught your attention at the time. I met many interesting people because of you. I already missed those times (invariably late evenings) from the time you became too ill to continue with them. I hope that we, your friends, can find a way to meet up and remember you.

Vernon was very knowledgeable about many things. I particularly liked to hear his views and recommendations about music. 

Thanks, Vernon, for taking on the task of educating me on classical piano music. I did indeed follow your advice and purchased all the Beethoven piano sonatas and The Goldberg Variations by Glenn Gould and many more that you recommended. Those CDs remain amongst my most treasured ones to this day.  

Vernon also loved to cook and was very pleased to offer visitors generous helpings of whatever he was cooking at the time. His French dishes were particularly good. He also loved to play the piano and entertain guests. Classical, blues and jazz music were his specialities.

Vernon, I have many fond memories of the nights we used to spend at your flat in Madrid, laughing, joking, enjoying your good cooking, your anecdotes, the endless YouTube music videos and comedy sketches you played for us and also, of course, your piano playing and singing.

There was never a dull moment with Vernon. He found interesting people and things everywhere. These could be on trips abroad, in the bars around his house, even in the local supermarket. His stories about his professional piano playing days in Sheffield were always fascinating and often hilarious. I especially enjoyed the stories about when he played piano in Joe Cockers’ band and toured the American bases in Germany with Joe. 

Maybe we will get to read the autobiography you were writing these last few years Vernon. I hope Paloma will let us see the latest copy.

One thing you won’t be able to do now Vernon is to correct my grammar.  I’ll be looking out for any grammatical errors in your biography, but I know it will be very difficult to find any.

You will be truly missed, Vernon.  Thanks for being such a good friend.

Stan

  Gracias Vernon

Por las veladas

Me encantaban las veladas en casa de Vernon y Paloma. Siempre salía de ellas con calidez en el pecho y habiendo aprendido algo. De música, de literatura, de gramática, de historia, de costumbres, de actualidad…  De compartir, sobre todo.   Alrededor de su mesa, entre vino y comida preparada con cariño, compartimos con Vernon  experiencias,  ironía, anécdotas jugosas, algún reto, buen humor…

Y por la música

Y, por supuesto, excelente música. Su apertura de mente, su curiosidad, su independencia de criterio,  la diversidad de sus conocimientos, su capacidad de disfrutar, su amor a la vida… Todo ello hacía de Vernon el centro de un pequeño  mundo en el que podíamos entrar y reconocernos. O  incluso recuperar un poco de algo precioso que habíamos perdido.   Agradezcco a la vida el haberte conocido, Vernon. Has dejado una huella luminosa en mi corazón.

Pilar

Vernon: encompassing his life by Nigel, Vernon’s brother.

It was with deep sorrow that I heard of Vernon’s death. I find it very difficult to write something which can encompass the life of my biologically closest relative.

My only brother

He was my only brother, born into the nuclear age thirteen days after Hiroshima and died in the digital age of electronic intelligence and was someone who had always been there.

Had an important influence on my life

As children, we shared the experiences of our formative years and, as my senior by 3 1/2 years, had an extremely important influence on my life, introducing me to some excellent music from an early age. I would never have chosen a career in TEFL had it not been for him.

Went to Chesterfield Grammar School, which had a reputation for bolstering confidence

From childhood, Vernon displayed a precocious incisive intelligence.

When he was eleven, this was confirmed when he was given a place in one of the most prestigious local grammar schools. Only two children were selected out of the entrants. Chesterfield school had been a public school. These have a reputation for bolstering confidence, certainly an aspect of his character which served him well in later years.

As a child, Vernon took music to his heart

Vernon took music to his heart as a child and, given the opportunity of taking piano lessons, displayed a natural talent for the keyboard.

Keen to progress, he went on to have lessons with one one of the best tutors in Sheffield gaining certificates and experience on the way but playing requires more than technical prowess. He had an empathy with the feelings of the composers which gave his flair for their music a vital ingredient.

His next love was foreign languages

His next love, foreign languages, started at school where he studied Latin, French, and Spanish.

Vernon gets hired by Joe Cocker

Whilst still under 21, Joe Cocker was so impressed when he heard him playing in a pub that he hired him on the spot to join what was one of the best bands in Sheffield. A tour of American bases in France soon followed and their blues style was warmly received by the G.Is.

His first experience of Higher Education

His first experience of higher education was on a Business Studies course and, whilst there, he became very interested in economics, something that stayed with him for the rest of his life.

Student by day, band player by night

Whilst at college, he would study during the day and play with the band at night, often resembling a businessman in horn-rimmed glasses but sometimes, incongruously, a kaftan, playing cool blues music.

First the Continent, then Birmingham Uni

After working on research of how a British steel company would prosper in the then “Common Market”, travelling through much of Western Europe, where his knowledge of languages served him well, he decided that that was not the life for him and became a mature student at Birmingham University studying French and Spanish.

His teaching career starts: Italy, Madrid, Tenerife

After teaching in Italy for a period, he decided to move to Spain and a fresh chapter of his life commenced. After Madrid, he tried Tenerife but, accustomed to cities, the island didn’t offer the kind of atmosphere he cherished, that of a cosmopolitan environment where new ideas can flourish.

Back to Madrid, Vernon & Paloma set up SLS

He returned to Madrid, met Paloma, one of his students, fell in love, married and brought up two boys , whilst establishing his own language school: Sheffield Language Services.

Vernon was someone not easily overlooked

Vernon had a real passion for music, particularly that of Beethoven and could quite easily be moved to tears by the beauty of a performance.

He was a man with a strong personality who was not overlooked or, once encountered, easily forgotten, leaving a powerful impression.

I have read quite a number of positive statements from those of my friends who knew him and some of his old friends from Sheffield Forum who had posted a lot of praise for his playing and his character a few years ago.

A complex character, sometimes holding contradictory views

Vernon was a complex character holding original ideas about a wide range of subjects and, like all of us, he held a bundle of sometimes contradictory views.

He was an atheist and rationalist, sceptical about many things but was a firm believer in luck. He told me many instances of how things had turned out well for him and how fortune tellers had “correctly” predicted what would happen in his life.

Vernon loved leading the conversation…

Inconsistency makes for interesting topics of conversation and Vernon liked to discuss serious subjects rather than chatting. He liked to throw a comment into the talking to provoke more robust beliefs.

…and holding court in his chair

The most recent main impression I have of him is holding court in his chair with a sound system playing some of our favourite pieces and his explaining why it’s so good.

It’s difficult to think that I won’t see him again.

Vernon Nash, my husband of 32 and life partner of 34 years died on Monday, 1st of July. This is a homage to him, with gratitude for our life together and with the contribution of friends and family, all of whom loved him dearly.

His last year, his last month

He was ill for some time, particularly since January. And, while in hospital, we used to text every day to say goodnight and good morning. This was our conversation on

Sunday, 16th June ‘19.

22:50 hours

P. Have sweet dreams. V. Same to you dearest heart!xxxxx P. And appreciate and enjoy what you have xxxx V. Especially from you. I wish I’d spent more time saying nice things to you and paying more attention to my sweetheart! Xxxx P. Not only to me. You and I are very lucky for having each other, having the kids we have, the family we have and the Social Security we have. Be (sic) greatful! Xxx V. I am grateful. Not greatful. P. Sorry!!! I did find something weird in the spelling, ho, ho, ho! … something grating!!! V. “A” you’re adorable “B” you’re so beautiful “C” you’re a cutie full of charms “D” you’re a darling “E” you’re exciting “F” you’re a feth P. What’s a feth? V. Feather in my arms…rest of song tomorrow. P. OK. Sweet dreams

Monday, 17^th June ’19

9:27

P. Good morning! Did you have a good night? V. Slept well. A tiny bit less rough. P. Good.

13:38

V. “G” you look good to me “H” it’s so heavenly “I” you’re the one I idolise “J” we’re like Jack and Jill “K” you’re so kissable “L” spells the lovelight in your eyes. “M. N.O. P.” I could go on all day. “Q.R.S.T.” Alphabetically speaking you’re ok. “U” make my life complete. “V” means you’re very sweet. “W.X.Y.Zee.” I love to wander through the alphabet with you to tell what you mean to me!

This is the song…soppy, but that’s the way he sometimes was…

The following week he got weaker and then, the week after he died. The journey we started together, including our common enterprise Sheffield Language Services or SLS Hallam-POPPIES, carries on because… You will always be in my heart (our hearts) and my (our) thoughts, dearest Vernon.

For Vernon, from Sue

How can I describe Vernon?
Always on the ball,
Forever curious and anxious to know more,
Eager to tell me his latest story or discovery with that characteristic passion and enthusiasm...while playing his favourite music...or mine...he never forgot what that was...
He knew something interesting about everything...and everything about so many things,
A man of many talents, he was a musician, a linguist, a teacher, a writer.
But for me, more than anything, he was a very dear friend...
Vernon has left his mark on us all and he will be sorely missed, that is for sure...
But let us celebrate his life and all he gave us... 
and let us smile fondly whenever we think of him...
I know I will...
Sue

Jane’s “set music to listen to” list

Vernon, the music lover and the teacher

That he loved music, was thoroughly knowledgeable about music -and many other issues- and was a born-teacher, most of the people who knew Vernon directly experienced and enjoyed. Here is the list he set for Jane one of the times she was visiting …

As requested, Vernon’s music recommendations for me. I’ll enjoy listening to them thinking of the happy times we had… It’s a treasured list -now I’d better get all the pieces together and listen to them…he’ll be looking down on me 🙂 nice for others to know his favourite classical music. Xxxx

(Jane)

End of the first part of this homage to Vernon

I’ll end with another of our communications on

Wednesday, 19th June

14:42

P. Hi darling. How are you? I want you to know that I love you and I’m very grateful for all I have learnt with you and for the two sons we have. Xxxx

V. A bit more relaxed though groggy. I’m equally grateful to you for the half of your life you’ve devoted to me.

We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to say “So long” and “Farewell”.