In this edition we would like to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Parish Councillor Robin Cooper who died on Sunday 25th October aged 70.
Public Life
Robin’s public life was one of service to the people of London Colney in the many roles he played in our community. He was a regular contributor to this magazine from its inception, with fascinating insights into local flora and fauna, injecting humour and facts in the right proportion, and always supplying his own pen and ink illustrations to accompany the text.
Robin served London Colney as a Parish Councillor for 28 years and was chairman of the Council on two occasions during that time.
He was a committed socialist and a leading member of the London Colney Labour party for 30 years.
School Governor
Robin enthusiastically served as a governor of Bowmansgreen School for some 10 years, helping children in school several times a week and accompanying school trips. As a school governor he showed an keen interest in the children, always concerned for what they were achieving and giving his time to all the children in the school but particularly eager to help those with learning difficulties. If you were ever out with Robin he would always be greeted with a cheery ‘Hello Mr. Cooper’ from Bowmansgreen School pupils one might chance upon.
Early Years
Robin was born in Barnet and spent his childhood and more formative years in Potters Bar with his brother Tony and his parents who lived there for many years. His secondary education was at Stationer’s Co. School and he wrote articles for the ‘old boys network.
As a young man he became a lay preacher at the Methodist church in Potters Bar and also ran a cub pack in Northaw. His first entry into the world of work was as an apprentice at De Havilland’s in Hatfield but he didn’t take well to it as he felt he just wasn’t getting enough out of it so he left there to become a postman so that in his spare time he could study for an Aeronautical degree which he duly achieved. This gained him entry into a teaching post at Little Heath Primary School- in those days one only needed a degree for teaching but he really felt he wanted to formalise his qualifications for teaching so in 1968 he decided to go to Zambia to study for a Post Graduate Degree in Education.
Marriage
In the meantime he met Barbara, his future wife, they married and went out to Zambia together to begin what was to be over forty years of happy marriage.
Part of the contract to study in Zambia was a commitment to teach, which Robin did at Monze Secondary School for boys.
Beaumont School
Back here in the UK he took up the post as a teacher of A level Maths at Beaumont School in St Albans where he also taught some science and technical drawing. He taught many local people during his years as a Maths teacher at Beaumont School, to which he cycled every day, attributing his trim figure to this regular exercise, until his retirement in 2005.
Interests
Related to his teaching career Robin was a an active and committed member of the NUT and served as the local Association’s President.
Robin’s interests were wide-ranging and embraced gardening, jazz and boogie woogie which he played on the piano, art, politics, world faiths and religious language. He could speak a little Arabic, Urdu and Chinese and was able to write many of the intricate language symbols. But then, that’s not surprising because he had exceptional drawing skills; he’s produced many detailed drawings of buses, trains, birds and flowers and indeed it was a great frustration for him that in the later stages of his illness he was unable to draw.
Barbara and Robin spent many hours visiting art galleries and exhibitions in London often prompted by his keen interest in other cultures - so if there was an exhibition, say, for example with a Tibetan or eastern flavour, off they would go and enjoy time together viewing the treasures on show.

Holidays
Robin believed holidays were very important and would always take his 3 children and later on his grandson on trips to places of interest. In later years he and Barbara enjoyed foreign travel, often to exotic locations, visiting China and Egypt in recent years.
Robin enjoyed wine making – not for him ingredients out of a tin. He used natural ingredients and I can still recall with some relish the lovely bottle of bubbly elderflower wine Robin once brought round for us to sample – quite delicious!
Knowledge
Robin was indeed a man with an exceptional mind – he knew so many things, his knowledge was inexhaustible it was as though he had a library stored up in his head which he could draw on at the drop of a hat.
But more than this he was a man of the heart, a man who cared deeply for his family yet also for all his fellow human beings and he sought to offer them hospitality whenever he could. Anyone who came to the door was offered hospitality - Robin style.
Robin leaves a legacy as a fantastic model of tolerance and kindness,.
Christian principle
He did not just pay lip service to his Christian principles, he put them into practice in his own quiet unassuming way. He was a man with a keen sense of justice and invited speakers from many different groups to come and speak at Labour Party Meetings and just in case I had to bring my young son along Robin had all eventualities covered. He would always set up a little table in the room with copies of Beano and Dandy and all the sorts of comics children love to read - so thoughtful and typical Robin. We will miss his friendship, his wisdom and sense of humour, and all the qualities that made Robin such a decent human being, but how lucky we are to have counted Robin amongst our friends.

We thank Robin’s family and Reverend Meryl Court from Trinity United Reformed Church where Robin regularly worshipped for sharing their insights on Robin with us.