The following obituary was written by James Goodland

David Hyde Goodland, who died at the age of 95 on 26th January 2023, was both a pupil and a teacher at Tonbridge. As a pupil he joined the evacuation of the School in 1940 to Woolverton in Somerset; speaking with him last year, he could clearly remember riding his bicycle on country lanes and canal towpaths in the area, with occasional trips up to Bath to visit his sister. When the School returned to Tonbridge he moved from Parkside to the reactivated Park House, and was a Praeposter there. He maintained contact with Gilbert and Sheila Hoole throughout their long lives.

After attaining a double first at Magdalene College Cambridge and completing his National Service, he returned to Tonbridge as a history teacher. He later took up a similar role at Bradford Grammar School before arriving at Clifton College, where he was Head of History and later Senior Master.

In retirement in West Somerset he pursued his interests in music, which always had an important place in his life; his practice of humming to himself everywhere he went – one of many habits adored by those of us who loved him – was apparently already in place while at Park House. Also in place were the certitude, stoicism and kindness that flowed from his quiet but unshakeable Christian faith. He gave freely of his time to innumerable charities; amongst other things he was both a guide for the National Trust at Dunster Castle, and the voice of the West Somerset Talking Newspaper. He was for many years a church warden at St Etheldreda’s, West Quantoxhead. Books rose in piles wherever he went. He never lost his interest in meeting new people or discovering new ideas. One of his greatest roles was saved for the final years of his life, as a carer to his beloved Gill. He is greatly missed by friends, former colleagues and pupils, and his family, not least his three children and eight grandchildren.

(PS 41-44 / PH 44-46 & CR 51-54)