Nielson, Paul
OTT 153 - Tulk
Date of Death: 19/06/2019
Copied from The Gazette No 70.
Born in Chertsey to Mollie and Chris Nielson, Paul attended Wallop School in Weybridge before moving to Ottershaw School in 1969. Having left school, he gained a BSc in Medical Biochemistry and Health Economics. He ultimately followed his dream career of community GP but initially took a position as a stockjobber on the London Stock Exchange between 1979 and 1980. He was delighted when, at short notice, he was accepted for Charing Cross Medical School and asked his boss late one Friday afternoon if he could leave that day. The boss checked over his trading position, calculated his due commission and handed him a personal cheque for several thousand pounds which covered the tuition fees and wished him well.
In 1985 he joined the Royal Berkshire Hospital Vocational GP training scheme, where he subsequently added a Postgraduate Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. In 1989 he moved to Devon to be a General Practitioner at Okehampton Medical Centre, as a locum, during which time he also set up and became Lead GP for the Devon Doc Out of Hours Service, with which he remained involved until 2010. Having converted to Catholicism, he met his wife Jill in Devon and spent most of his career there. Latterly, he worked at the Holsworthy Medical Centre from 2005 until he retired from the NHS in 2012.
In his spare time, he was variously an owner and manager of a nursing home in Chagford, a director of a restaurant, co-owner and director of Devon Marquee Company and Managing Director of C. Nielson & Son Limited. This company constructed 14 new or renovated properties in Devon and France, and all his buildings were innovative and environmentally friendly. As a charity fundraiser, he organised over 20 charity balls and a Raise a Laser Appeal and CRY Appeal Marathon Run. He was a Member of the Royal Berkshire Hospital Cancer Care Appeal, which raised £3,000,000, and Chair of the New Okehampton Hospital Appeal. The Appeal committee raised the money for, designed and oversaw the construction of the hospital. The building was designed to be environmentally friendly and constructed so that all patients would have a view from every ward window. It also had a Japanese Garden in its central courtyard, which was created by members of the Johrei Society, who travelled from Japan to assist in the project. Paul was given the Devon Man of the Year award for his participation.
At Ottershaw, he was 1st team rugby hooker and, while head of Tulk House, captain of the school cricket 1st XI. While studying for A Levels he decided to copy some of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel onto the ceiling of the Tulk House Prefects’ Common Room. Not quite the same magisterial setting, but still very impressive.
The energy he had seemed boundless. When at university at Royal Holloway or Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, Paul decided to revive the then defunct Ottershaw Park Cricket XI and play on the 1st XI square at school. No mean feat getting a new cricket club off the ground, but matches were played and, whether the team won or lost, they always retired to The Otter for the post-mortem. With the school closing, access to the pitch was lost and a new cricket club, The Otters, came into being. A true wandering side.
Paul then moved to Devon and passed on the poisoned chalice of Organiser and Captain of The Otters to Tim Christopher, but it did give the club a venue at Chagford for their first tour. And with another Old Boy, David Howell, living close by, they could have another game at Christow.
Paul was not only a very good batsman/wicketkeeper, especially at Otters level, but also an occasional but unconventional bowler. In one match, The Otters had the opposition on the ropes and pressure was maintained with Paul’s own brand of off-spin. He took the decisive wicket with the delivery of the day. The batsman was left swiping thin air as the ball, on its third bounce, spun viciously, trickled up to the stumps, nestled there and, almost as an afterthought, dislodged one the bails. Paul was delighted; the batsman was disgusted. Job done!
He carried on cricketing locally, playing alongside his children for The Duke of York pub team. He played rugby for Old Windsorians at university, Abbey in Reading and finally Chagford, with occasional games for Ottershaw Former Pupils against the Ottershaw Old Boys club. His last game was on his 40th birthday and he was advised to retire by his GP — either on grounds of health and safety or perhaps just his playing ability. His love of rugby continued, but now as a spectator. He loved watching Exeter Chiefs and his real pleasure was witnessing his daughter Clara play, firstly for Exeter Uni then Bristol Bears, and then, ultimately, as a very proud father, seeing Clara run out at Twickenham to represent the full England side.
Most of the memories of Paul playing football aren’t when he was playing for the 1st team, as left back, with instructions of “They shall Not Pass”, but of summer evening football outside West and Tulk block using the pine trees for posts. Paul took a very hard tackle and hobbled to the side of the playing area. His kind and considerate friends let him drag himself up two flights of stairs to see Matron. His leg was broken. Unsurprisingly he was back playing football as soon as he could, and much sooner than he should, charging around the pitch on crutches. His teammates felt he was more effective with crutches than without.
He loved spending time at the family’s house in Sixt and skiing at Samoens. Typically, Paul skied in jacket, tie and plus fours — one of his charming eccentricities, as he put it. The Country Squire on skis.
Despite his having learned on a Mirror dinghy on the Thames from a very early age, his sailing exploits bring a shudder and reluctant smile to those who sailed with him. He enjoyed his part-ownership of a 29-metre 3-masted Bermudan ketch built in 1923. He also owned a lovely wooden Folkboat “Folk Joy” and participated without a formal entry application in the Round the Island Yacht Race. On one occasion, while only narrowly avoiding sinking, the intrepid team was rescued by enthusiastic Sea Scouts out on a jaunt.
He was a very good golfer with a single figure handicap in his youth, so when he came back to golf, lastly playing with the seniors at Okehampton, he was a most welcome partner.
With only a few cruelly short weeks after a diagnosis of cancer, Paul gave clear instructions for his funeral, which were carried out to the letter. With the church bursting at the seams and many attendees in the rain outside, it was held in Iddesleigh on 19 July 2019. OSOBS was represented by President Peter Jones and (in alphabetical order): Ian Beaven, who gave a reading; Adrian Bridge; Chris Bridge; Ray Bromfield; Tim Christopher, who delivered one of the eulogies; Paul Deacon, who gave a reading; Graham Deane; Andrew Goolding; Dave Green; Nick Head; Richard Kemp; Tony Mitchell; Paul Ream, who gave a reading; Peter Southey; Chris Sillince; Toby Stevens; Chris Thornton; Mark Toynbee; Andrew Trant; Simon Wood; Nigel Wright and John Young.
To honour his memory a lengthy wake started in the Village Hall and adjoining marquee and continued late into the night in the Duke of York. Paul was the glue of many Ottershavian friendships, dropping in on short notice to visit his chums, and always attended events which brought Old Boys together. He was a keen property developer and handyman and, as an environmentalist, was well-read. Although some might have called him opinionated, he was thoroughly determined and cheerful, and he could – and did – talk knowledgeably to anyone who would care to listen on a wide range of topics.
He always cherished his wife, Jill. Their paths crossed when she was a midwife. On 22 June 1991, on what must have been the wettest and windiest day of the decade, they married with a papal dispensation at a C of E church in Chagford, the subsequent reception taking place in a marquee.
In memory of Paul, the family is donating trees to a hardwood forest regeneration programme which will start in the autumn at RHS Rosemoor. If any Old Boy would like to contribute to the already growing fund, please write to Andrew Goolding (OTT 141) at andrew@goolding.com for details.
Paul will be missed by the hundreds or thousands of people whose lives he touched, and we give our condolences to Jill and their three wonderful children, Clara, Charlie and Jamie.
Written by Paul Deacon & Andrew Goolding,
with parts borrowed from Tim Christopher’s eulogy