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Saturday, April 12

THEY came from far and wide to say a final farewell to former Blundell's School housemaster Ted Crowe, whose memorial service was held today at St Peter's Church in Tiverton.

   Blundell's old boys from Manchester, London, Bristol and all over the West of England were out in force to say their goodbyes to one of the school's most-loved eccentrics.

   Mr Crowe, who would have been 80 in July, was a pupil first then long-serving teacher at the world-famous public school in Tiverton. He was a pupil between 1943-1946 and taught at the school from 1953 until 1989, when he retired. He died in January and had a private, family funeral soon afterwards.

   For 50 years, Mr Crowe was the secretary of the Old Blundellian Club, responsible for keeping more than 4,000 old boys in touch with each other and the school.

   Among his pupils were future England cricketers Hugh Morris and Vic Marks, as well as numerous rugby players, among them an England captain.

   Former pupils, ex-colleagues and friends from the worlds of academia and sport packed into the 1,100-captacity church for the memorial service, which was conducted by Rev David Hamer, who was chaplain at Blundell's for 28 years until his retirement in 2001.

   Among the congregation was Terry Silk, a teacher at Blundell's when Mr Crowe arrived in 1953. Fittingly, the service began with the hymn Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer – the Welsh rugby anthem.

   Tribute followed tribute for almost 75 minutes during the service. Richard Sharp, an old Blundellian and former England rugby captain, read the opening lessons, which was taken from the book of Ecclesiastes.

   Millionaire businessman, author, cricket lover, Olympic bobsleigh racer and philanthropist Christopher Ondaatje read an extract from one of Ted's favourite books, England, Their England.

   Then the tributes started, both of which touched on Mr Crowe's eccentricities, his appalling dress sense, his love of cricket and rugby and his overwhelming generosity of spirit.

   Brian Jenkins, who shared the masters' common room with Mr Crowe for 25 years, gave the first of two eulogies at the service.

   He remembered a bear of a man, both physically and in spirit, who touched the lives of everyone who came into contact with him.

   “He was huge, generous and enigmatic – yet he was a shy man who preferred to be behind the scenes,” said Mr Jenkins.

   “Ted was never one to say a lot at staff meetings, but hen he did it would be to defend his pupils, never to decry them.”

   Mr Jenkins highlighted his former colleague's eccentricities, describing them as ‘tales too tall to tell as no one would believe them. That was theme taken up with affectionate relish by another ex-Blundell's teacher, John Hollands.

   Mr Hollands was also a cricket and rugby team-mate of Mr Crowe's and remembered the haphazard way sides would be put together.

   “Ted arranged a two-day tour game in Coventry for the Old Blundellians – and we turned up with just three players: me, him and Richard Sharp,” said Mr Hollands.

   “Worse, we only had two sets of kit though. I had to sit in the dressing room with my jock strap on when we batted, ready to do a quick change when one of them got out.”

   Mr Hollands said his old friend saw parallels between the way sport should be played – fairly, competitively   but without selfishness – with the correct way to live your life.

   “Ted   was a good sportsman, but he was never going to hit the heights because he played for the team and did not have that streak of selfishness needed to be anything else,” said Mr Hollands.

   The closing prayers were led by the Reverend James Patrick, another Old Blundellian who practises law in Bristol and is an honorary curate in the Church of England.

   A reception for service goers was hosted by the Old Blundellian Club back at the school in Old House, where Mr Crowe was housemaster from 1965-1980.

   Mr Crowe was on the committee   of the Devon County Cricket club for 20 years having also been a county player back in the 1950s. The club was represented at the funeral, as were the Devon Dumplings, a wandering team of which he had been president in 1988 and 1989.