GORDONIAN FUNDRAISING

The Danny Jones Prize for most improved Junior Athlete

Gordonians Christian Cullinane 8481 (1990) and Andy Morgan 8411 (1987) have led a fundraising campaign in memory of Gordonian Danny Jones 8499 (1990). Via a Just Giving page set up by Gordon’s they have raised an amazing £1,200 which will secure an annual book prize. The ‘Danny Jones Prize’ for most improved junior athlete will be awarded each year at Prize Giving in memory of Danny, who was a very gifted athlete and is still holder of a number of school athletics records after leaving over 30 years ago!

Andy Morgan writes about his memories of Danny and what he got up to after Gordon’s.

I have been asked to write a few words about Dan, and to be honest I have put it off for a couple of weeks….not because there is not a lot to say or that I didn’t know him well enough to speak about him, more that putting pen to paper seems very final and I guess I am not ready to face that.

Dan would say I’m procrastinating because 1, I do not want to shine the limelight on him (he was perfectly capable of highlighting his own achievements) and 2, because I was never going to be as articulate as him!

Perhaps the latter is true, he had a remarkable mind, quick-witted with a dark sense of humour and a sharp tongue at times. I think of him as one of the cleverest people I’ve ever met. What he didn’t have answers for in knowledge he made up for in charm. He could talk to anyone about anything. Even the most troubled soul was disarmed by his smile and his gentle approach. Dan was a great psychologist, he offered help to so many and gave people comfort at their darkest moments, and the irony is not lost that the only person he could not fix was himself.

I knew Dan since 1983 when he first came to the then Gordon Boys’ School. Although a year below me we always had a good bond especially in my latter years at the school and once I left school Dan stayed in touch throughout his Sixth Form days at GBS and studying at Collingwood College. He then went on to study Psychology and English Literature at Bristol and Cardiff Universities.

Dan was never one to settle down and spent his entire life travelling all over the world, climbing in the Himalayas, trips to Africa, canoeing the Zambezi and in between working as an educational psychologist at some of Britain’s top schools. He was a free spirit and finally settled down in Switzerland working at various schools there helping in their Psychology Departments. He always had itchy feet and after spending time teaching in Tristan da Cunha Dan eventually followed a path which led him to Moscow working as an educational psychologist at an international school there, unfortunately timing his travels at the time Russia invaded Ukraine.

My resounding thoughts on Dan are that he had many qualities both good and bad, in equal measures. He was my best friend, confidant, and antagonistic life companion. There were times when he would push our friendship to the limits with his erratic behaviour. But he was always there for me, I miss him daily and hope he has now found the peace he could not in life, like many geniuses find in this life.