A wonderful story from Mr Hilton Sack who went to St Albans with Dad.

 A wonderful story from Mr Hilton Sack who went to St Albans with Dad.

I was at St Alban’s College with your Dad.

I was in the same year as John Schultz, who sent me the Facebook post you wrote about your Dad.

I’m so sorry to hear that he passed away, and so young too. I’ve been living in Sydney for 40 years, and until recently had lost touch with most of my classmates.

I only arrived at St Alban’s in 1967 — in April of that year. Your Dad was 2 years ahead of me and left towards the end of the year. However, although I only spent about 6 months at St Alban’s while your Dad was there, I recall him with great clarity. Being 2 years my senior, he’d have had no interest in me at all, but I was enthralled that this mischievous senior guy, who was a prefect, smoked (as I did) yet could outrun anyone in a long distance race! We had to “run the bounds” a few mornings a week ( a cross country run around the boundary of the school) and despite being a reasonably competitive sprinter, I had no stamina for long distance running, and couldn’t believe how Keith Coppen could run so easily and so swiftly past all of us, while I staggered along!

I found your post beautiful to read and was struck by how a couple of years in age difference at school can result in one knowing so little about another.

The thing is, I never knew he was a musician. I am an amateur musician and it is a massive element of my life. I still perform, and play every day of my life. ( I was in the Folk Group with Richard Penwill and Anthony Walmsley, and loved reading what Richard wrote.)

And I also flew! My father had a 172 which I flew from the right seat from age 12 until I went solo in it at 17! (Is that pic of you filling a 172 or a 182?)

So here I sit, now aged 72, thinking that there was this amazing fellow, Keith Coppen, with whom, had I been a year or two older, I might have had an enormous amount of fun with, but sadly didn’t.

With best wishes,

Hilton Sack.