A tribute to Lawney Nelson Bird (EG 1945) by Jeremy Bird

Born in London in 1932 Lawney attended Senior school from 1943 to 1949. He was a keen sportsman and represented school as wicketkeeper for the first X1 Cricket team.

On leaving school, Lawney enrolled in an RSA Diploma course in Journalism at Marlborough Gate College in London. The course had included stenography which would prove decisive in him being deployed to Fontainebleau near Paris for his National Service in the Army in 1950, serving under a detachment of General Eisenhower as a stenographer.

On returning to London in 1952 he embarked on a UK wide sales and marketing role with Scribbans Kemp biscuits in Cricklewood. After several years with the company, he moved to Parkinson’s biscuits in 1963 as Sales and Marketing manager, which was almost immediately taken over by Fox’s Biscuits, where he progressed to the Senior Management team and retired in 1989. During this time, the company landed a contract with General Mills in the U.S. to manufacture and distribute chewy cereal bars across Europe and it was his role as Commercial Manager to sell the product to companies in Germany, France and Scandanavia. These products are still present on supermarket shelves today.

Lawney was a keen yachtsman and built his own dinghy which he sailed in various regatta’s during the 1970’s and 1980’s with his 3 children. He was also a painting enthusiast and produced many oil, water colour and pencil compositions. One of his favourite drawings was of Highgate school, for which he had always maintained a strong connection with and is proudly displayed in the sitting room.

Whilst at school he and his lifelong friend Robert Haxforth learnt to play boogie woogie music on the piano in the hall, which he continued to have a passion for throughout his life.

Lawney passed away peacefully at home on 20 June 2021 aged 89 following a period of ill-health. He is survived by his wife, Una and children Jeremy and Melanie.