A personal appreciation and tribute by Richard Dunning
It’s hard to imagine life at Lochnagar without our charismatic Chaplain John Pressdee and his loyal and supportive wife Yvonne now that they’ve formally retired from the roles on December 31st.
For almost 15 years they have both been resolute and irreplaceable rocks for me personally and for countless longterm Friends. A lasting memory is of the July 1st Ceremonies, waiting for dawn to break – often a nerve-wracking time. The sound of John’s infectious laughter coming up the lane as he is warmly greeted by organisers and congregation alike meant that, once again, all would be well.
There was a time, pre-Covid that often two, three or even four thousand people would stand patiently waiting for the Ceremony to begin. A quartet of unforgettable sounds were indelibly linked to those moments; first, the echoing boom of the maroon, then the haunting blowing of the whistles and the poignant pipes emerging from the mist, followed shortly afterwards by the unmistakable sound of John’s thundering voice bringing us all together – a stirring sound equally at home on a windy Welsh hillside. With his hallmark blend of passion and compassion, come rain or shine, who can fail to forget the inspiring image of John standing before the Cross, arms outstretched to welcome us all and one, engaging with people from a dozen countries gently brought to the front as only he can. He had big boots to fill, for before him had been the formidable figures of two revered Church of England predecessors – Canon Michael Saward and Canon Timothy Watson. But we are forever thankful that fill them he did.
As Baptists, John and Yvonne brought their own, slightly more informal style of loving, pastoral care to Lochnagar, be it the moving July 1st or November 11th ceremonies or the convivial Nottingham dinners. They were, and always will be, loved by us all. They chatted to everyone, were interested in each of us and our families and sadly over the years, were present officiating at the inevitable funerals of dearly missed Friends.
What perhaps isn’t generally known is their steadfast support for me personally when sometimes, over the years, difficult choices had to be made. Whether at the end of a phone or over lunch at their house in Orpington (they have recently moved to a delightful setting on the East Sussex coast to be closer to their family) their caring and wise counsel and invaluable spiritual mentoring will be greatly missed. As a Christian especially, but also those of all faiths and no faiths alike were treated equally with affection and respect.
Their life outside Lochnagar is (and had been for decades before) rich with their own unique style of caring pastoral work and impressive prayer walks both in the UK, and Europe, especially through Germany and along the Western Front. John has a remarkable, forensic memory (and a much-coveted library) on all aspects of both the first and second world wars, on land, sea and air. Another, less-known passion we both share is a love of boxing and again John impresses with his encyclopaedic knowledge of past heroes of the ring. But with them both, I’d like to think it’s the lads of all nations who fell at Lochnagar that they will always carry in their hearts.
Lochnagar, and myself, will forever be grateful to them both for their almost a decade and a half years of love, inspiration and unsparing service. God bless you both and we all wish you many years of happy and fruitful endeavours in this next, well-earned chapter of your lives. RD
Dear Friends, It is with great sadness that John has stepped down from being Chaplain to the ‘Friends.’ For both of us, it will always be one of the best things we have done, but he is now 80, and it is time to go. We feel particularly sad that Covid prevented him from making a final visit. As a last contribution, we have suggested writing a book about the history of the ‘Friends of Lochnagar,’ before all the original ‘Friends’ shake off this mortal coil! I have already written two books and Richard has responded with his usual great enthusiasm and I have assured him that he will have the final say in what is written, before anything is published, but I will need your help. First, I need stories of how people originally became involved – particularly early members; then stories of relatives who were on the Somme, with testimonies of why people decided to get involved or become ‘Friends,’ – anything at all that people will find interesting. Lastly I will need photos, particularly ones from the early years, with dates and any details. I don’t have facilities for good quality scanning, so they would need to be copied and emailed to me, before the end of April at johnandyvonnepressdee@gmail.com I need to say that any proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the ‘Friends,’ and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yvonne Pressdee
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