Alastair Fenton Duffus Milne – an obituary

Herts RFU send our condolences to Alastair Milne’s family and to all at Barnet Elizabethan’s

Alastair Milne sadly passed away on December 26^th.

Alastair was born on 4^th June 1932 in Petercultar, Aberdeen. Initially educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, where he played rugby & cricket.

Moved to London in 1946 when Alastair’s father bought a pharmacy in New Southgate. Attended Highgate School where football took over from rugby. Was also in the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) where he was an excellent shot & represented the school at Bisley.

After school he was employed on the family farm to gain experience before entering the Royal Agricultural College. However national service got in the way, initially in parachute training with a view to being dropped into the Korean war zone. Fortunately, this was postponed & he was posted to Osnabruck, Germany where he played rugby and skiing (in Alastair’s words not much time for work!). This period was followed by 10 years with the Honourable Artillery Company in City Road, London.

During this time, he was employed by a Ford main dealer & as production manager for Lesney Products (match box size models of cars). He also worked with Shell Mex & BP in the heating oil market. In 1971 he launched M&G Marquee Hire Ltd where a number of Barnet’s younger Colt’s members honed their muscles on erecting marquees. This business was eventually sold in 1993 & Alastair retired in 1996.

Alastair joined Barnet Rugby Club in 1952, playing in the 1^st XV as well as spells in the Hertfordshire 2^nd XV and North London. He joined the Barnet Executive committee in 1967 and became membership secretary in 1977 until his death on Boxing Day. He was made a Life Member in 1974 & was also our international rugby ticket secretary. He was also a Life member of the Truants golfing society.

In addition to rugby and cricket, where he played for Chipping Barnet becoming their President in 1976, Alastair love of golf resulted in him joining Hadley Wood Golf Club. He was captain there in 1965/66. He has run the rugby club’s golfing society since 1968 & became an honorary member of Royal Cromer Golf Club, where the society have spent a golfing weekend in early October since 1948. He also organised trips to Edinburgh every other year to coincide with the Calcutta Cup Scotland/England rugby weekend.

His other love was organising lunches & dinners, having formed the Fork & Bottle Luncheon Club in 2014 (previously known as the 80s Luncheon Club). He was also instrumental in organising the Truants annual dinner.

Clearly a man who had wide interests in sport and enabling others to share his enjoyment through the many events and meetings that Alastair organised. He will be enormously missed by so many at Barnet Elizabethans as well as by the members of the Truants, Hadley Wood and Royal Cromer Golf Clubs and his many friends in Edinburgh.

Funeral details will follow.