Fountain of memories (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Fountain of memories

10:25am Friday 6th January 2012 in Letters

Sir.–I attended the memorial service at All Saints’ Church, Odiham, for Peter Fountain – a friend of mine for many years. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the turnout.

We all knew Pete was a popular fella but All Saints’ was packed to the rafters and the service itself was a suitably fitting tribute to an absolutely wonderful, warm, friendly guy.

I first met Pete some 25 years ago, surprisingly, in a pub in Greywell. We hit it off straight away and became great friends, and over the years, Pete has been there for me on many occasions, as I have for him.

I confess we had been in some rather bad states after some heavy “socialising”, shall we say, on more than one occasion, and the keywords “just another half then Wurzel” were often muttered.

Pete and I, along with Alan Dampier, revived a community social gathering in the early 1990s called a “dungmunch” – not as bad as it sounds but the occasion consisted of a party held in a barn lent to us by Mark Butler and later Richard and David Janaway.

We charged £10 per head and for that there was a free bar, food provided with Peter’s home-made chilli, and music. This was where Pete found his flare for organisation and general bossiness.

I visited Peter in Basingstoke hospital just before he passed away and it was a very emotional time. But even with the pain he was in, he managed a smile, an insult or two, and right to the end, his dignity. He dealt with his illness his way, as only we would have expected. I will miss Peter Fountain very much but Odiham gave him the send off he richly deserved. God bless you Pete. Sleep well.

–Steve Richardson, Orchard Lane, Alton.

Sir.–I write to express sadness at the untimely death of Odiham’s Peter Fountain. On behalf of the members of Odiham and Greywell Cricket Club, I wish to add to the tributes in The Gazette.

Peter, although a non-cricketer, willingly accepted the voluntary but timeconsuming role of club chairman from 2000 to 2007.

At the time of his appointment, the club, both on the field and socially, was at a comparatively low ebb, but under his leadership its fortunes improved towards the high level it now enjoys.

Sadly, Peter did not live to see the results of the tasks in which he was involved, aimed at celebrating the 250th anniversary of the club in 2014.

However, his efforts towards this milestone, together with his long service as club chairman, will ensure that he will be long remembered. The sympathy of club members is extended to his family.

–Alan Laycock, Tavistock Road, Fleet.