RIP - W L Monro Davies (SCH, 38-45)

Monro was born in Llanelli Carmarthenshire in February 1927.

He attended and cherished his time at Christ College Brecon for 7 years from 1938 through to 1945.  Here he excelled in ALL aspects of school life - Head of School, Editor of the Breconian, Captain of both Rugby & Cricket and played 1st XI Hockey. 

At the end of his time at Christ College he received praise for his efforts as Captain of Rugby - His sturdy, cheerful nature has made him an excellent leader both on and off the field.  A short while ago there seemed to be a tendency to regard captaincy and vituperation as synonymous terms; that vie, it can now be hoped, has been consigned to the limbo from which it never should have emerged. That toughness of manner is no necessary concomitant of hard going on the field his play throughout the season has been proof.  As a forward he is entitled to challenge comparison with some of the best Brecon forwards of the past.  He will be sorely misses but the memory of what he has done will abide.

He excelled on the stage and played significant roles at that time.

On his way through school he achieved numerous accolades e.g. Sports Day races & Greek prizes.

In September 1941 he was awarded a Parchment Testimonial of the Royal Humane Society for saving a boy from drowning at Aberaeron.

In 1948 he returned to his old school for two terms as a temporary ‘master’, including supervising swimming and junior football.

On leaving school at the end of the War he served in the Royal Navy for two years before studying Classics at Trinity College Oxford.

He qualified as a barrister in 1954 and practiced from Farrar’s Buildings in the Middle Temple on the Wales and Chester Circuit, taking Silk in 1974 before becoming a Circuit Judge in 1976

He sat in Wales before sitting full time as a criminal Circuit Judge in London at Snaresbrook Knightsbridge and Blackfriars Crown Courts until he retired in 1999.

He married actress Jean Innes in 1956, welcoming the birth of his son Neil in 1958 and his daughter Tiffany in 1960. The family lived in West London and Monro commuted between Wales and London for the whole of his career. For about twenty years Monro and Jean lived, appropriately given Jean’s career, in the Barbican. There Monro continued to enjoy the family’s huge interest in the Arts as well as his passion for rugby and cricket.

Very sadly, his son Neil died in 2013 followed by his beloved wife Jean after in 2014 and Monro moved in with Tiffany and her family in West Sussex spending eight very happy years being able to enjoy the company of his grandchildren Rory and Honeysuckle.

He died unexpectedly but very quickly at the age of nearly 98 over the New Year.

He was a wonderful person, kind, thoughtful and humorous. As one tribute to him said “Monro attracted affection”.