Ian Barfoot (OW 1951)

(11 May 1931 – 17 May 2018)

MCS was informed that Ian died in 2018. His wife Heather, who has also since passed away, wrote the following about her husband.

“After leaving Wadham in 1958, Ian took a job in Orpington as a research scientist with Burmah Oil. When the company moved to Ellesmere Port, Ian decided to teach instead, and went to Garnett College for a year to learn teaching. At Bromley Technical College, Ian taught chemistry and IT amongst other subjects; he almost single-handedly set up their computing department. He helped to make the courses available to blind or disabled students, and he rose to be their Senior Lecturer. When he retired, he took an unpaid job at High Elms Country Park as a Ranger. With other volunteers, he set up the Green Hill Wood Workers who take care of a small woodland. When a tree is cut down, the group make furniture which follows the natural shape of the wood, so no two have ever been the same. Ian loved to work in his shed making unusual artefacts. The best of these was the ‘Barfootnik’. This started as a pram fixed onto a pedal-cycle to carry a baby. When the baby became a toddler, it expanded into a detachable side-car with a roll-back roof (so the child could stand up and tell us about the traffic), cupboards for nappies, and a wash basin; the back pulled down into a high-chair. A tarpaulin served as a night cover for when it rained; this left the cyclist free to go ahead to buy provisions. The ‘Barfootnik’ helped our family take outings and walking holidays, camping without a tent.

Marrying a scientist meant I was never bored in all of our 62 years of marriage, thank you Ian.”

Heather and Ian left very kindly left a gift in their will to MCS.

The Master notes: “We are appreciative of Mr and Mrs Barfoot’s legacy gift, which will ensure his inventive spirit lives on at MCS”