David Harding (OB 1941-1949)

David Harding (OB 1941-1949) died peacefully after a long illness on the 16th December 2022.

He was born in 1933, a child of the second world war and remembered bombs landing in Woodford Green apart from being evacuated to Broxbourne for a period, David lived all his life in Woodford Green and loved the area especially The Green and the avenue of trees which he witnessed being cut down due to Dutch Elm disease and re-established.

He attended the Woodford Preparatory School before going to Bancroft’s School, where he joined the Sea Scouts. This is where his love of sailing began. David enjoyed many sailing trips, in the Mediterranean, around the Greek Islands, across The Channel and the North Sea. He sailed on the River Alde, Aldeburgh and later at Walton Yacht Club from his Titchmarch mooring.

After leaving school David went to work in the City of London for Westminster Bank before doing his National Service in the Royal Artillery 1951-1953, based in Catterick. On completion of his two years he went back to work for Westminster Bank until he moved to become Company Secretary for The Electric Contractors in Walthamstow, retiring in1998.

He was a keen rugby player and was a member of the Old Bancroftians’ Rugby Club. As Fixtures Secretary many evenings were spent ringing round to get fixtures confirmed, looking for referees and liaising with team captains. He was very involved socially at the club and had many friends there. He was a good swimmer and swam for the Westminster Bank team and also, when they were short of a swimmer, for Leyton Swimming Club where his sons swam. He was also Chairman of this club for a few years.