Henry Charles Marriott Gibbs, 1960-1965 (February 2024)

I still have an enduring memory of my first meeting with “Harry” as he was always known. Like me he was a new boy in the Michelmas term of 1960, except I didn’t realise it at the time. We were with our respective parents in the study of the Housemaster, Rev Henry Thorold, he of the off-putting fixed stare. Harry was standing by the study window. He was 6 ft tall, even then, and wearing the family tartan kilt and I thought he was Head of House! From that moment on we became close friends and I was frequently taken to lunch with him when his parents came down to visit.

Harry was born in 1946, to Fred and Kay Johnston. His other siblings were Freddy, Jim and Pat. Fred was a newspaper man and ran the family business, F. Johnston, publishing many titles in Scotland. Both Freddy (Sanderson’s 1950-54) and Harry came to Lancing, after attending Morrison’s Academy. Lancing was about as far away as you can get from Crieff in Scotland where the family then lived. The reason for that was because Freddy liked train journeys and worked out that the journey to Lancing, ending with the Steyning Flyer, was the longest he could find to an acceptable school.

Harry made the most of Lancing but was not a convert to the Church, notwithstanding his Housemaster’s faith. He was a keen smoker and made many friends “off piste”. He loved music and photography but declined sport (which brought a nod of approval from Henry). He had a great sense of humour and was universally liked both at school, and in life.

Newspapers were in his blood. Having initially gone to the London School of Printing he married Fiona and worked for the Middlesex Newspaper Group in London. Freddy became Chairman of the family business, creating Johnston Press, and Harry became a non-executive Director, managing Advertising and Sales. He and Fiona moved to Falkirk and had three children. 

Harry was a very astute businessman. Already wealthy, but frustrated by not playing a bigger role in the company – perhaps inevitable with Freddy at the helm – and when the share price of Johnston Press was at an all-time high in 2004, he sold many of his shares. But money does not bring happiness, and family tragedy and unhappiness led to illness and divorce from Fiona. He subsequently married Jenny who was working in the Australian Embassy.  

Ultimately, Harry lived in Gibraltar where he remained until his death on 22nd February aged 77, having initially lived in Melbourne with Jenny. Latterly, he was crippled by mitochondrial diseases and could not travel so he kept in touch with friends by Facebook. He was a passionate anti-Brexiteer and dedicated European. He will be much missed by family and all who knew him. 

Roderick Dadak (Gibbs 1960-1965)