How proud I am to be making this tribute to my former Godfather, Housemaster and friend. It was as my Housemaster he tried to get me to read the lesson in chapel for 5 years – and with a variety of excuses I successfully avoided it for my entire time at Tonbridge. What an irony that I am here today speaking in the chapel at David Kemp’s Memorial Service.

It was at Park House where David’s stock rose to such remarkable heights. Appointed Housemaster in 1969, he was to serve his full 15 years and will be fondly remembered by many of the congregation today of course, but particularly those from Park House.

David had a natural empathy for boys’ individual strengths. He knew how to get the best out of every boy and was able to exert discipline when necessary with a reassuring calmness.

Robert Wallace PH 71-76 summed it up well “It’s a strange dichotomy to find that your respect for someone has actually increased just after they have given you an almighty rollicking for some transgression.”

David didn’t need to raise his voice or threaten anyone. In fact he didn’t like to issue punishments at all that may prevent a boy from progressing in school life and certainly not if it was to miss a sporting fixture.

On a similar note my Brother Jeremy had a slight run-in with the Chaplain, The Reverend Edward Turner. Jay had a cricket match that he was really looking forward to but the Chaplain set a mock Religious Studies O’Level at precisely the same time and wouldn’t change it.

So disappointed, nay angry, was Jay to miss the match that he answered every question of the entire paper with the names of Indian Test cricketers!

The Reverend Turner was beside himself and demanded of Jay’s Housemaster to give him a severe reprimand. David Kemp duly summoned his second-year student into his study.

There was a long intake of breath, a characteristic of David’s every time he had to ponder something even remotely problematic. Mr Kemp studied the offending paper with a stern look on his face.

“Jeremy I have your exam paper here in front of me and I’m just looking at what you did:

Question 1: Who crossed the Red Sea escaping the Egyptian Army?

Well…Clearly that was Moses, but you put Sunil Gavaskar”

Question 2: Who was the King responsible for the ‘massacre of the innocents’ having been outmanoeuvred by the Wise Men?

The Housemaster had another deep intake of breath as instead of King Herod he read…… Bishan Bedi.

All of a sudden, Jay noticed that, as David was reading question 3, his hands were starting to shake, his shoulders were quivering and he had tears in his eyes. Eventually Mr Kemp burst out in laughter, saying:

“The trouble is…this is so TERRIBLY funny”

But then with another intake of breath he looked at Jay:

“You realise you will have to be SEVERELY punished for this”

“Yes Sir”

“Would a spot of gardening be ok?!”

(“Thank you sir.”)

And that was it with David. The boys in Park House generally behaved themselves because they had utter respect for their Housemaster.

Park House enjoyed considerable sporting success during his tenure and he loved it. He enjoyed winning but there was no more generous man in victory or in defeat than David.

We would score 250 in a house match versus say, Judd House and bowl them out for 150.

“Jolly good match” he’d say,

“Judd played terribly well actually”.

“It looked a bit dicey for a while”

You see he would have feared the worst until victory was secured, because when it came to sport he was always the great pessimist.

But it was Park House’s time and David always said modestly that he couldn’t have done it without the team around him. What a Vice-Captain, friend and right hand man he had in John Gibbs.

And what a wife by his side. Marion was so hugely supportive of him and all the boys in the house, whilst simultaneously bringing up their own children. Marion and David were married for 55 years – what a wonderful family they were and how lucky I was to have David as my Godfather.

David’s time wasn’t restricted to Park House and his work as a cricket administrator for the OT Cricket Club and the Cricketer Cup was remarkable. He was indispensable to the managing of early OT Cricketer Cup sides - he rarely missed a game and usually did the scoring in his very neat hand.

David was an experienced hand on the tiller in all cricket matters with a huge understanding and love of the game.

This held him in good stead as Kent Cricket came calling. Firstly to bestow upon him the greatest honour of all, the Presidency of Kent County Cricket Club in 1992 and then to elevate him to the Boardroom. David Kemp became Chairman of Kent in 1994.

He said at the time with that intake of breath, ‘I’m not really a businessman you know’.  Maybe he wasn’t, but he was a people’s man in a people’s business.

When he stepped down after 4 years as Chairman the finances of the Club were in good shape. On the field Kent had won the Sunday League, one of only three trophy wins in the 42 years after 1978. The Club also finished 2nd and 4th in the County Championship, and reached two Lord's Cup Finals….making his period in office one of the most successful in the last forty years.

It was an unpaid role, entirely driven by duty and responsibility and not by any vanity or self-interest. He loved his time at the Club and is still held in the highest esteem within Kent Cricket.

His administrative and personable strengths were perhaps in contrast to his own batting. Peter Bathurst wrote in his book about Tonbridge cricket:

‘Kemp was a solid careful opener not vastly productive, but nearly always staying around for quite a while gathering useful runs”

He was no Joss Buttler!

There have been many notable paintings of Tonbridge from the far side of the Head looking back towards the School. When you leave the chapel today I want you to savour the picture from here looking across the hallowed turf.

I would like you to imagine a young Tonbridge artist has created a new painting of The Head on a sunny match day. The players are in the field.

Hovering by the famous old pavilion we can see David Walsh who spoke so beautifully earlier, quietly offering advice to the team Captain.

Moving up the hill to the right behind the picnicking parents and friends at the far side of the ground, you will see a man on a bicycle.

Yes John Gibbs – it’s Gibbo on his bike of course!

On top of the bank on the Upper 100 there’s Mike Bushby, grey trousers and v-neck maroon sweater, legs crossed, sitting on a bench where John Knott had been for many years before him, not missing a ball.

Further round, taking up a discrete position somewhere near the School Shop, would be another member of the Tonbridge School Hall of Fame, Jonathan Smith, clad in that rather unsightly white floppy hat.

And then…. to the left overlooking the Lower hundred either side of the sightscreen… would be the Great Man. David Kemp, standing there with his bike parked neatly on the grass, hands always clasped behind his back, holding regular discussions, with any and indeed ALL passers-by. There was never a shortage of people who wanted to spend time with David, the great listener, who offered such wise counsel.

To complete this work of art the young artist would include Old Tonbridgian Colin Cowdrey batting at one end. Not only as he got the odd run or two on the Head but because he and David were lifetime friends, built from out there in the middle when they played together in the Tonbridge Cricket XI 1946/47.   

Thereafter in the life of David Kemp we were just the players and he was the understated, unassuming, unpretentious, yet inspirational leader. He was loved by everyone that came across him and revered by those who had only heard about him.

David will always be remembered as the man who made an unparalleled contribution to our School.

Park Side Head of House, Head of School, Teacher, Housemaster, Sports master, Second Master, Acting Headmaster, Master of the Skinners, President of the OT Cricket Club, President of the OT Society, School Governor.

I don’t need any intake of breath to say on behalf of all of us here today that David Kemp was the finest All-rounder in the history of Tonbridge School.