John Murphy RIP 08 19 2020

Esperazannaise may remember John from his visit here in 2017. Today his wife has written that he died last night. The news is not a surprise as he had been operated on for a brain tumour that turned out to be the most horrid sort; though it had been removed the biopsy revealed it was going to return and in the meantime be untreatable. There was a sporting chance that he could have survived a long time but alas, it has not been so. He was due to visit us in June of this year but was covided out of that trip and now...

John was a very decent scholar, getting a first from Reading and always producing lively and original ideas. For most of his life he taught, until 2005 when he and Julie got so unhappy with the UK system that they decamped to a Greek island, where John continued to teach.

 I've known John since the early 1980's and he was always, unfailingly,  an amazingly good companion. He had an effortless tenor voice which he used to great effect in the Irish pubs of SE London. I'm reminded of the ''Carrickfergus'' singing competitions he had with my brothers which were marked for angst (this will resonate with those who are familiar with Irish folk singing. If not - and curious- listen to the link below) He will be truly missed. Bonne courage to Julie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGR6dbaoAkg