John Henry Kendall: Hostel, 1943 - 1947
Born 1st March 1931 - Died 7th August 2026
Born on St David’s Day, 1931 at Pandy Farm, Merthyr Tydfil, opposite the gates of Cyfartha Park.
His parents Tom and Belle Kendall ran the first TB tested dairy farm in Wales and Tom Kendall was the biggest horse dealer in South Wales and the West Country supplying the army and collieries with horses during the World War 2.
Whilst at CCB, he played for the first XV and first XI, both sports he followed throughout his life. In school one of his fondest memories was winning the Cricket Ball throwing event which then was part of Sports Day. It is recorded that he won first place in the U16 event for two consecutive years. In 1946 his 83 yards 9 inches was much longer than the throw that had won him first place in the previous year.
John played rugby on the wing for Cardiff for a season and successfully contained Olympic sprinter Ken Jones in the match against Newport.
National Service in the REME followed. His first job was at the Brecon & Radnor Express as a reporter. He later worked for the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, and Daily Express.
While at the Daily Express, as a reporter, he scooped the world’s press by finding a source who knew the whereabouts of £110.000 in a wood in Sussex after the Great Train Robbery.
John later became all Wales correspondent for a farming magazine - The Farmer and Stockbreeder.
In the early 1970s he launched a public relations consultancy, initially from offices in Hereford before expanding to London and Cardiff, where he was joined in the business by his two sons Andrew and Rhodri.
He edited up to four titles from his Hereford office including the Country Landowners magazine, Hereford Herd Book journal and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society journal - a publication he edited right up until his 80s.
Their daughter, Fiona, married a Breconshire farmer whose three children are CCB Old Breconians - Matthew, Ben and Chloe.
He was married to Nesta, a pharmacist, they lived in their home in Vaynor since 1960. Nesta pre deceased him in 2018.
He was an avid reader of all literature but a particular favourite was Ernest Hemingway, gardening in his large garden was also his great pleasure.
He was High Sherrif of Mid Glamorgan in 2003/4 and a Fellow of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.
