Page 4 - HGS Suburb News 150 - Summer 2022
P. 4
S U B U R B
PEOPLE
Photo:
From the Littaur
family archives
Evelyn Fox along with their youngest Highgate and took to Suburb life
David daughter Joyce. The cruise was like ducks to water. Both felt they
had finally come home to a
cut short due the start of WW2
and the family remained in community they had craved. They
Littaur Argentina for 3 years. David and relished the sense of camaraderie
and the active community
Joyce corresponded throughout
this time. When David finally engagement and formed bonds,
came back to London he enrolled ties and friendships that enriched
1925 - 2022 in the RAF and spent a couple of the rest of their lives. David’s role
years in Canada before finally
as Chair of the Events Committee,
marrying Joyce, his sweetheart his involvement with both
and family friend, in 1948. It was a Fellowship House and the Proms
A true gentleman true love indeed. They celebrated at St Jude’s, gave him purpose
their 70th wedding anniversary in
and pleasure over many years.
in every sense 2018 with their local Suburb Well into his nineties, he managed
friends only 2 months before my
to organise and orchestrate
of the word sweet grandmother passed away. events through meetings, emails,
David had a love and
and his iPhone which was never
appreciation for culture and far from him. Technology certainly
music from a very early age. He wasn’t going to deter him.
RACHEL MONTAGU played the clarinet, violin, and Focused and always interested
piano, and enrolled at the in others, David was an astute
avid Allan Littaur ,was born Guildhall of Music. He followed listener and so interested in the and Jean were great supporters of
on the 10th September his passion for music and became respected by so many and made Jean the Fellowship, running weekly
world around him. He was well
D1925 at home in Brook a conductor. My grandparents musical afternoons, and of the
Street, Mayfair. The only child to travelled the world with the various everyone feel special – from his Garden Suburb Theatre, which
Elsie and Marcus Littaur, my orchestras. They both loved to family and friends to the taxi Neal Tim joined as a young man,
grandfather was raised in a travel, meet new people (often driver, receptionist or waiter. playing many roles, often in the
privileged household and taught forming lasting friendships) and Non-judgemental, modern, warm, open air theatre in Little Wood.
to appreciate the finer things in they were both very particular courteous, and charming, he He is particularly remembered by
life. His mother was very particular about eating good food. My would look you right in the eye many for his portrayal of the Judge
about how he was dressed and grandfather strived for beauty and with a beaming smile and child- 1922 - 2022 in Toad of Toad Hall.
behaved socially and this never perfection and this is probably like excitement. He leaves behind Jean was born in Middlesbrough
left him. His shoes were always why he was so successful as a a wonderful legacy of appreciating but spent most of her childhood
highly polished, he wore a suit, tie conductor and arranging events; how to be ‘in the moment’ and to in Norwich. She attended
and jacket at every occasion and always determined that it would be celebrate life to the full, to be Newnham College, Cambridge, at
his manners were impeccable. He perfect and beautiful for everyone. optimistic, kind and interested in a time when women were not
was a perfect gentleman. A regular ballet, opera, recital and others, to be well mannered and awarded degrees: she was able to
David was educated by private concert goer, he loved the charitable. He believed in paying claim it only many years later. She
tutors (he was invited to play at combination of the audio and visual. it forward. went on to work at Bletchley Park
the Palace with the princesses Before his hearing deteriorated he Even with all of the many where she met Alan Turing, whom
Elizabeth and Margaret as they would listen, compose, and play privileges life afforded him, my she encountered again when she
shared a French tutor) before music on a daily basis with a huge grandfather remained humble and worked at the National Physical
being sent off to study at Clifton appreciation for tone and grateful for the affection and Laboratory. Later she made a
College in Bristol at the age of 13. context. Along with Joyce, music engagement he received in return. career as a legal indexer, working
In 1939, the family embarked was most definitely his passion. David Littaur was a true gentleman for the publisher Butterworths.
on a three week cruise, waved off In 1998, my grandparents who will never be forgotten in the The photo shows Jean at her
GAD_Enfranchisement_SuburbNews_137mm x 120mm_Layout 1 08/02/2021 09:46 Page 1
by their good friends Cecil and moved to the Suburb from Suburb and further afield. 100th birthday party last year,
wearing the Légion d’honneur she
was awarded by the French
Government for her wartime work
at Bletchley Park. As well as
Introducing Graham Jaffe Photo: Colin Gregory receiving a card from The Queen
she also received the Defence
Medal in recognition of her
COLIN GREGORY
Leasehold ean Neal, one of the Suburb’s contribution to the defence of the
Nation. Her passing marks the
oldest residents, died on 26th end of an era.
Enfranchisement JMarch just short of her 101st MARY WHITING
birthday. She and her husband
Tim were active members of many
Suburb organisations and were number of people might
Expert Honorary Life Members of the RA. remember Jean Neal for her
For many years they organised A long involvement with
distribution of Suburb News. Tim Fellowship House music sessions
served as a member of the RA which she ran, and the also long-
Buying your freehold or extending your Council and later as the first chair running pensioners’ lunch club for
of the newly formed Trees and which she did most (and usually all)
lease contact Graham for experienced Open Spaces Committee. They of the cooking. Indeed Jean, and her
were both keen naturalists and husband Tim, were stalwarts of the
specialist advice. loved the birdlife in their garden in Fellowship Committee.
Meadway, on Hampstead Heath, Jean’s cooking was famous!
Call on 0208 209 2653 in Big Wood and Little Wood and As members of the then HGS
Email gjaffe@gadlegal.co.uk further afield, where they often Gourmet Society, she and Tim,
went on bird watching holidays. gave memorable summer and New
Tim grew up on the Suburb in the Year parties for the whole society.
house his parents bought in 1914, In addition, Jean and Tim gave
www.gadlegal.co.uk and Jean continued to live there their locally famous ‘Oxfam
746 Finchley Road NW11 7TH until her death. Tim was one of lunches’ in their house, where, for
the narrators of the 1975 Suburb a small fee, people crowded in to
Gregory Abrams Davidson Solicitors is a trading film, made to mark European eat home-made rolls and soup
name of National Law Partners Limited.
Architectural Heritage Year, and buy various donated items.
alongside Sir Donald Sinden. Tim Always an event not to be missed.
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