Hugh (always known as ‘Hudge’) and I met as pupils at the Magnus Grammar School when I first arrived in Newark, aged 12. We have been firm friends ever since and, only last week, met up as usual for breakfast at the Livestock Market. It is so very hard to believe that he has gone.

At school, Hugh was the light around which the moths gathered; in other words he developed a capacity for friendship which has stood the test of time. He has a huge circle of really good friends and so many of the comments that have been made reflect just that.

He was, first and foremost, a family man and our thoughts go out to his wife, Liz, their children Toni, Sam and Ruth, sister Sarah and brother Charles and all the wider family. They will be grieving the loss of a lynchpin of their family life and it will be hard to accept that he has gone so suddenly.

Much of our friendship has centred on sport; it started with rugby and cricket at school and went on from there. Christmas Eve football matches were a feature of those days as well. He and I started going to Twickenham whilst we were both students and, together, we will have seen dozens of England games, at home and abroad. The highlight must have been watching our school friend, Dusty, play his part in England’s grand slam of 1980.

Hugh became a stalwart of the rugby club, featuring as a rangy No 8 for the 1st XV with adroit ball skills. Having retired as a player, he became fixture secretary and, latterly, membership secretary. Not only that, he played for the cricket section and the golf society. (He even joined the golfers for breakfast only last Friday). What a contributor! The model of a stalwart.

Life was about more than sport, of course, and he had an enviable record of public service. His profession was teaching and for very many years he carefully nurtured and taught children with special needs; a real gift. He had been active as a Coddington Parish Councillor and was a Churchwarden of All Saints Church at Coddington.

So much more could (and will!) be said. He was a kind and considerate man; a real gentle-man. Newark Rugby Club will be poorer without him and we will all miss his presence.

Andrew Fearn