BACK TO NEWSLETTER 2005 CONTENTS
27th July 1943 - 13th April 2005
It is with enormous sadness that I report the death of Nick, a
great man and a great OC. Nick was admitted to hospital for oral surgery and was
making a good recovery, but then suffered a massive heart attack that removed
him from the great sports-field of life. In Nick’s part of the sports-field it
was populated by people who, like Nick had, a great sense of fun and adventure,
who will forever miss him.
Nick arrived at Clayesmore Prep School in Charlton Marshall in 1951, and to
those of us already there, he made an immediate impression; not particularly an
academic impression, but one of leadership skills, sporting ability and a great
sense of fair play and fun. We boys were most fortunate to be in the care and
under the guidance of Dick Everett, Headmaster, and Hugh Glazebrook, 2nd head
and life-long friend.
At an early age Nick was in the first team for rugby and cricket; in fact I
still clearly remember Nick as 1st team opening bowler down the hill; he would
walk back very purposefully on his run up, turn, rake the ground with his feet
like an enraged bull, and then ... God help the batsman, wicket keeper,
longstop/fine leg; he would deliver a “snorting” delivery!
In 1956 he went up to “the big school” where he spent three happy years. Nick
went up a term ahead of me. I have always suspected it was due to our
Headmaster, Dick Everett, requesting “the big school” to take him a term early
as the junior matrons were taking too great an interest in him; in fact it was
all in vain as Nick did make the occasional trip back to the prep school!
We were fortunate to have an intelligent and caring staff - Peter Burke (Bunter)
was Headmaster, David Spinney (the Jaw) was senior house master, Humphrey Moore
(Humph) was middles housemaster and John Appleby was in charge of Junior House.
I think these masters would describe Nick as a lively, charming, honest lad, who
was clever in not getting “caught” too often, a great games player but not
particularly keen on training or in the academic side of things. To his fellow
pupils he was invaluable. There was great encouragement to have a fag, a trip to
the pub etc; so Nick ensured that the non-academic side of our school life was
interesting and exciting. In fact, I remember a maths class when Mr Hilton
(Ronnie) was teaching, Nick was sitting by the window near the back of the
classroom, and Ronnie was saying, “the importance of log tables cannot be
underestimated………Waters put that cigarette out. Many complicated
calculations...” - nothing more was said by Ronnie about that fag!!
Nick was in the first sports team for cricket, athletics and rugby and performed
well in all sports despite a total lack of training, he was a natural athlete
and very competitive. He was always taller and broader than most of his
generation, which made him a fearsome left wing on the rugby pitch where he was
very difficult to stop, not only due to his strength and size, but also because
he became a “high hurdler” and when the opposition went to tackle him low, he
jumped over the tackle - none of us rugby players had ever seen anyone else do
this and this is probably due to the fact that if you get it wrong, you land
badly and break your neck!
Nick’s time at Clayesmore was well spent and he improved the years of his
friends there too. Nick’s father made an amusing comment as we walked up the
path to the family house near Matlock, “see that wooden sign (showing the name
of the house), well you know Nick made that at Clayesmore, and that’s all I’ve
got to show for thousands of pounds”!
Nick had an amusing observation regarding the appointment of Head and
housemasters, “first one back from the war got the Headmaster’s job, next three
got to be housemasters”.
After leaving Clayesmore Nick joined the family transport company. The company
was formed in 1925 by Nick’s grandfather and passed on to Nick’s father,
Bernard. When the company was nationalised by the Labour Government in 1949
Nick’s father was devastated but struggled on. In 1954 he restated the business
under his name, B. J. Waters Transport Ltd.
Nick had an older brother, Tim, and a younger brother, Martin. Old-man Waters
was joined in business by his sons. The main activity of the business was the
transportation of coal, but the four family members worked hard on getting
“return loads” and the business grew. In 1969, their father died and under the
directorship and ownership of Tim, Nick and Martin the business grew further.
Sadly Tim died in 1988. The company under Nick and Martin continued to grow and
they acquired other companies and other properties. B.J. Waters Transport Ltd is
now a large, private family transport company. In fact anyone travelling on a
motorway will be fortunate if they do not pass (or are passed by) one of their
huge lorries.
The tales of Nick’s life are endless; he had so many friends that it is not
possible to retell all the anecdotes. There were some 300 people at Nick’s
funeral, the church was full half an hour before the service started and there
were two wonderful eulogies, the first from OC David (Ron) Fangen and the second
from Nick’s life-long friend, Harold Robinson, retired policeman and now a
successful Enquiry Agent. The service was up-lifting with rousing hymns,
Jerusalem etc, lovely readings from the family and the two eulogies that ensured
there was hardly a dry eye in the church. After the service there was a joyful
wake that had to be held in a huge marquee that the family had erected in front
of the company’s office. It had to be held in a marquee as no hotel in the area
was large enough to accommodate all the mourners.
So to wind up, - anecdotes.
Martin – (brother)
Nick and Martin were in London on business and in the evening they and others
went to a night-club. In the early hours of the morning, Nick decided to leave
before the others. So out into the street he went, found a taxi and when asked
by the taxi driver, “where to go?”, Nick replied, “I can’t remember the name of
the hotel or where it is, but its a big hotel and there are steps going up to a
revolving door”. Thirty quid later the hotel was found.
It was Nick’s 60th birthday so he invited all his mates on a trip to Prague.
They arrived at the airport and handed in their passports. Unfortunately one
passport was not valid for long enough ... yes, it was Nick’s, but never one to
be phased, he said, “right, where can we go where passports are not needed?” ...
they all went to Dublin and had a great time.
John George and Richard - sons
Many years ago we had a family outing to a good restaurant in Chesterfield. The
party comprised of Nick’s parents, brothers, sons and cousins. When dessert was
served, one of Nick’s female cousins had ordered ice-cream. Nick teased her and
she said, “I’ll flick it at you”. Nick, of course, continued the teasing. Nick’s
mother said, “Never let down a challenge”, female cousin flicked the ice-cream
that hit Nick on the forehead and there it remained/trickled for at least five
minutes.
In the early ‘80s, John George, only a teenager, joined Nick and friends on a
trip to Moscow. Unfortunately Nick and John George overslept and missed the bus
to the Kremlin, so the two of them went on a walk/explore to the Olympic Village
which took them through a grim Moscow back street. They passed a decrepit old
house and looked through the window and were surprised to see the room full of
men passing a black bottle around. Nick said to John George, “shall we join
them?”
John George remembers having to use all his charm and negotiating skills
to stop Nick taking him into that drinking den.
Harold Robinson - old friend
In the late ‘70s, a big hitter, Patrick Dougherty descended on our company. He
had recently purchased The Rectory at Churchtown and informed us that he was
building a 9 hole golf course in the grounds and surrounding area. He had but
one field to purchase to complete the deal. Nick placed a sold sign in the field
concerned, unbeknown to Patrick, and when Nick and I collected him from The
Rectory one Sunday evening and we drove past the field in question, I
congratulated Patrick on acquiring the land. Patrick went berserk and threatened
to sue everyone concerned. He did later purchase the field.
Nick, I, and one other were drinking after hours at The Three Stags one evening
well after closing hours. All the curtains were drawn. The Police raided the pub
at around midnight. The Police demanded to be admitted, but the Landlord refused
to admit them, saying they could be anyone. The Landlord returned behind his bar
and we continued drinking into the small hours.
On many occasions in the ‘70s when I was in the police force, Nick would
accompany me around the Chesterfield night-spots where I would introduce him as
a visiting Detective Chief Inspector. He particularly liked this role.
Attending a Mickey Mouse golf tournament at Alfreton to play 18 holes. We
started with 18 balls. We had to abandon the game after 9 holes as we had lost
every single ball.
Once when visiting Russia with a crowd from The Sycamore, Nick purchased the
very cheapest fags at Manchester Airport. On arrival in Russia, the party were
exchanging English cigarettes which the Russians were desperate to have, for
bottles of champagne. Apparently Nick’s cigarettes were returned to him as they
did not meet the minimum requirements.
Nick will be sadly missed by his vast number of friends and us, OCs, who used to
see him at “major functions. These will not be the same given his departure. Our
thoughts and condolences go to Nick’s brother, Martin, his sons and to all his
family and friends.
Piers Sabine (56-60)