On Wednesday we said farewell to my friend Professor Norman McCord. He had passed away in October and his funeral was the occasion for some of the lecturers from my day as an undergraduate and postgraduate at Newcastle University to meet up. It was good to see them again. Norman had been one of my lecturers but also my mentor when I was working on my PhD thesis back in the late 80s and early 90s. Much to my surprise, I was given a mention in the eulogy as a former student who kept in touch with Norman.
Norman discovered the Roman fort at Washingwell, Whickham in 1970. All that is left are the crop marks but the site at least could be viewed from my bedroom window of my childhood home. I had been working on a piece of research about the fort which I planned to complete this year. Alas, 4 election campaigns kept me occupied with the result the completion of the work will now be next year, meaning Norman cannot get to see it. At least I was able to meet up with him at his house in Cullercoats in 2022 to discuss the project.
So thank you Norman for all the help and advice over the years. Farewell my friend.
1 comment:
This is a lovely piece which I have just come across. Norman really looked after me when I studied at Newcastle (I graduated in 1986) and took me under his wing from the beginning.
Even when I left university he took the time to keep in touch and when I was working in London he invited me for drinks at his club and for a meal when I was struggling to settle in. A truly generous man who wore his knowledge and intelligence lightly.
Post a Comment