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'Mycroft' Hubert Anthony Pike (1921 - 2011)

Eulogy 24th February 2011

by Nicolette Hubbard

'Mycroft' early years

Middlesex Regiment and Parachute Regiment 1940 - 1945

Post war years and retirement

'Mycroft'

Early Years

Mycroft, as we called him, was given the name by his brothers, whom he often met in a pub in Baker Street, London, opposite the building dubbed "221b".

They thought he was like Sherlock Holmes' elder brother - permanently sitting in his club - but active!

He was educated firstly near here at Swanbourne boarding school and then at Canford school in Dorset.

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Middlesex Regiment

and Parachute Regiment 1940 - 1945

Then that most unmilitary of men joined the Middlesex Regiment and then the Parachute Regiment and was parachuted into Norway, where he met and became friends with a Norwegian family whom he visited after the war.

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Post War Years

and retirement

He had various jobs, Kew Gardens and the Natural History Museum, but his longest employment was with BP.

He retired early and went to live in a little flat in a house in Barnes, conveniently near the common and the "Sun" pub.

When the house was sold, Mycroft came to live with us in "Little Rising" and built on a couple of rooms and stayed with us for 25 years.

He was a loving uncle to Tony, Heather, Robin, Jerry and Jolyon, James and William.

He never forgot birthdays and was a kind and humorous companion on all family holidays.

He had a calm caring persona and all our pets responded to this. I shall never forget him gently gathering up a collection of harvest mice, who were happily covorting in this church, popped them one by one into a linen shoe bag, and then relocated them in our garden!

He had a mass of quiet hobbies. He had a good stamp collection and one of military histories and he enjoyed his weekly drinks at the "Sow and Pigs" with his friends Jack Booth and Bill Tyler.

I never remember him asking for anything, and presents seemed to quite fluster him.

For the last few years of his life he lived at Lime Tree Court in Twyford, where he was content, and the kind staff looked after him well and he never lost his dry sense of humour.

A kind and gentle man, a conscientious soldier, a good friend, a loving uncle.

We will miss you dear Mycroft.

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