I have so many fond memories of Ted. He was always smiling and chipper at work and he constantly talked about Aga and their two children, he was clearly a very proud Dad and loved Aga to bits.
The first time I met Ted, I was in the Examination Schools kitchen. I heard somebody talking with a familiar accent from the Facilities Office. I wandered over, popped my head around the door and said, “ I’m sure there’s somebody in this office who’s from Portland, I know that accent anywhere!” Ted swiftly turned around to face the door, burst out laughing and swore (not unusual for Ted!). He asked how I knew the accent and I just said, “that’s where I grew up”! From that moment on we referred to each other as ‘fellow Fraggle Rocker’! We gossiped and reminisced about the Island, shared our loves of places/walks there, and although we never knew each other whilst living on Portland, we could never quite believe we ended up not only working in the same building in Oxford but also living one street apart!
Ted - I’ll miss you very much. The Exam Schools won’t be the same without you.
All my love to Aga, Victor and Ronnie Xx
Sheryl Parker
24th March 2023