My good friend Jeremy Cameron, who has died immediately aged 76, throughout a vacation watching cricket in Grenada and Trinidad, was a former probation officer, an writer, a tennis aficionado, cross-continental walker, socialist and vegetarian. His tennis maxim – “preserve match and get the ball again as soon as greater than your opponent” – underpinned his method extra usually.
Jeremy began his working life within the Nineteen Seventies serving to homeless younger individuals in Manchester and emotionally broken youngsters in Norwich. After qualifying as a probation officer at Brunel College in 1981, he began work in Walthamstow in east London. He was a fearless and inspirational officer, and energetic within the NAPO commerce union, the place his AGM speeches had been lauded for his or her ardour and wit. In 1995, he grew to become a nationwide rep in disciplinary proceedings and continued this work even after resigning from the Probation Service in 2002.
He additionally performed membership cricket, tennis for Norfolk and walked solo throughout Europe and America. Even so, he discovered time to jot down 10 books: six crime novels, of which It Was an Accident (1997) was made right into a 2000 movie; two about his long-distance walks, By no means Once more: A Stroll from Hook of Holland to Istanbul (2014) and Fairly Quintessential (2019), an account of his try to go to all of the locations in England starting with Q; one on native cricket in west Norfolk; and The right way to Be President – of Norfolk Garden Tennis Affiliation (2013), an workplace which Jeremy attained, serving from 2012 to 2014. He additionally edited Tales of the Probation Service (2019), an amusing assortment of anecdotes from retired employees.
The youthful son of Peggy (nee Majolier) and Leslie Cameron, Jeremy was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, however solely three weeks later moved together with his household to Norfolk, the place his father was the agent/supervisor of Westacre property, close to Swaffham, and his mom an area Justice of the Peace. Jeremy grew up valuing rural life.
At East Walton village major and Nowton Courtroom prep colleges, Jeremy was generally known as a shy, bookish lad. At Gresham’s public faculty, Holt, he excelled academically and in tennis, cricket and hockey. Thereafter he studied historical past at Magdalen School, Oxford.
Again in Westacre in retirement, regardless of being identified with a coronary heart downside after which Parkinson’s illness, Jeremy refused to be slowed down; he added parish councillor to his record of achievements and actions, and arrange a village library in his suitably tailored storage.
Jeremy spent 10 completely happy years in a relationship with Belinda Mara. After her demise in 2008 Jeremy remained actively concerned within the lives of Belinda’s daughters, Alice and Emily, and their youngsters. He additionally hung out with a associate, Hilary Rock, as much as 2019; they remained good buddies thereafter.
Jeremy’s brother Michael predeceased him. He’s survived by his sisters, Susan and Sarah, and their youngsters; and by Michael’s son.
