Number 80 December 2016 Lt Col Norman ‘Spud’ Murphy, 1933 –2016 t is with great sadness that we report the death of Norman served as the Society’s Chairman for its Norman Murphy, noted Wodehousean author, first six years and did much to set its tone for the sIcholar, and founder Chairman of The P G future, combining scholarship with wit and, overall, Wodehouse Society (UK). that lighthearted touch at which Wodehouse himself Wodehouse enthusiasts the world over will join excelled. Norman stood down when he turned 70, Norman’s family and friends in mourning the loss of assuming the self-chosen title of Remembrancer and one of the great characters in the world of generously providing information and advice while Wodehouse scholar- rigorously applying ship. Natty in his the ‘only when asked’ trilby, gesturing rule. Photo by Tamaki Morimura Norman and pipe in Cumbria dramatically with his tightly Our sympathy goes to furled umbrella, Norman Norman’s son, Tim; Tim’s Murphy made an arresting wife, Anne; and their and unforgettable sight on daughter, Rachael, Norman’s the streets of Mayfair as he granddaughter. But in this conducted his now world- forum, our love and thoughts famous Wodehouse Walks. go very especially to Elin The high-speed staccato of Woodger Murphy, Norman’s his vocal delivery, the quick devoted wife of 15 years march that was his habitual and Editor of Wooster walking pace, the strong Sauce ; she began work on sense that if he couldn’t this issue just a week after immediately share his latest Norman’s funeral. nugget of information, then In addition to Murray’s he would simply burst – all obituary, members may read were endearing and entirely those from The Times and Photo by Ginni Beard memorable. the Daily Telegraph , posted But Norman’s Walks were based on solid on the Society’s website. Also on our website, you are scholarship over many years, as were the books he invited to contribute your memories of Norman to wrote to inform and enthrall other Wodehouse the Society’s virtual Book of Remembrance. And see readers; these are described in the obituary by page 5 for details of how to buy the DVD of one of Murray Hedgcock that starts on page 2; a list of his Norman’s famous Wodehouse Walks. publications can be found on page 5. – HIlARy BRUCE Wooster Sauce – December 2016 Unforgettable Norman Murphy by Murray Hedgcock or years, The Reader’s Digest ran a popular series The Major and I travelled back to Waterloo together, when he enlivened the journey with F entitled “The Most Unforgettable Character I anecdotes and references to matters of London Ever Met”. As a journalist, I have met interesting history seen en route. I was not to know how people in my time – Jesse Owens, Margaret Thatcher, much more I would learn years later of the first Plum (Warner), Prince Philip, the Rev. lord Wodehouse, and of London, from the Major (soon to be Lieutenant Colonel), when his (Donald) Soper, Don Bradman. (If any of those books, his walks, and his vital role in the new names is unfamiliar, you can always check online.) Wodehouse society provided a proper platform Norman Murphy must take his unquestioned from which he could enlighten us about the place in my list of the unforgettable, and the tributes world of PGW. We are much the losers for the paid him on PGWnet, the Society website, and at his passing of this lovable character, but we are much the winners for all that he shared with us funeral confirm what he meant to Wodehouseans – his learning, and his generous, breezy, unique and many others across the world. personality. Thank, you, Spud, for so much. He was accorded the rare and rightful accolade of a full page in the Obituaries section of The Times It would be interesting to learn how many of that (October 20), decorated with a charming personal Farnham group gathered together 43 years ago are shot of Norman and Elin Murphy – termed in the members of our Society today. There was no caption “his co-conspirator”. The Daily Telegraph Wodehouse organisation in the UK at that (same date) also recorded his life and times time, the Americans having got there first. in a long obituary, with much detail of The Wodehouse Society, with members his impressive military career. Both worldwide, was founded in were pleasingly accurate, although Pennsylvania in 1980 by retired The Times claimed that on U.S. Army Captain Bill Blood. In completing one of his famed 1994, Northampton journalist Wodehouse Walks, “Norman Richard Morris set up The P.G. would steer his students into a Wodehouse Society, later pub on Northumberland renamed The Wodehouse Avenue, inviting those who Society (UK), but membership appreciated his efforts to buy was modest, and lack of a him a Plymouth gin martini”. london base a handicap. As Elin observed: “A The Society was Plymouth gin martini? Where reconstituted and went public did that come from? It was under the name we now know at always a gin and tonic – he never a lively Press launch at the Savage drank martinis.” Club on July 10, 1997, with Norman I am proud to claim some sort of as its Chairman. The Times Diary seniority in the matter of knowing recorded the launch, suggesting the record Norman Murphy, as set out in this tribute for words per minute was held by “lt. Col. recorded on the Society’s website: Norman Murphy, chairman of the society, and the It was on May 18, 1973 – yes, 1973 – that last word on Wodehouse. Told several Wodehouse I met a lively, youthful soldier-in-civvies at a stories in his speech, barely pausing for breath. He Wodehouse seminar in Surrey. This was at Moor Park College outside Farnham, when 40 or so slows down when lecturing in Texas.” enthusiasts, long pre-dating formation of The Norman was to serve as a driving force and the PG Wodehouse Society (UK), gathered to mull public face of the Society for six years, standing over and enjoy the works of Pelham Grenville down on his 70th birthday. Wodehouse. I recorded the event in my newspaper, The Australian , noting that among So where and how did Norman steep himself in the gathering was “the voluble Major ‘Spud’ the lore of Wodehouse and london, finding time for Murphy, a supply officer from Whitehall, whose such indulgence during his Army career? hours of studying London history led him to his Norman Thomas Philip Murphy was born in great theory; the tales of Wodehouse’s Drones club were based on real life”. “Spud” (the london on May 20, 1933, of Irish parents – his “Norman” does not appear to have impacted at father was a doctor – and schooled by Jesuits at that stage) expanded on his discoveries, and Wimbledon College. He was commissioned into the we were rightly impressed. Green Howards for National Service, and an interest Page 2 Wooster Sauce – December 2016 in latin then gained him a place at University netting, when as a member of the tri-Service Central College, Oxford. A fellow student summed up: “He staff he served as a British representative on NATO was no academic success, probably because he spent committees. In 1986, just retired, he was recalled by much time studying the American Civil War, and the Thatcher Government – he always claimed this Wodehouse, when he was meant to be reading law. was by the Prime Minister herself – to run a one-man Or it could have been that he wrote some brilliant study on NATO logistics. This led to production of first-class material in the Finals, but no-one could the first NATO logistics Handbook, after a year read it. Or understand him in the oral examination!” commuting between Brussels and the Murphy home But Norman, termed “a good College man”, was in Cumbria. active in many College activities and much involved Before addressing the Senior NATO logistic in the Oxford athletics team, running its events Conference in Brussels to introduce his handbook, “with military precision”. He was recalled as “a born Norman presented the draft of his speech to US eccentric, not a put-up, pretend one like Sebastian General Homer Smith, “theoretically in Flyte. He was a well-known figure around the pubs charge/responsible for me, who nearly fainted. They of Oxford in his saffron kilt, and I remember him don’t make jokes in the American Army, apparently, drinking his beer out of his hat one evening.” and he forbade me to use any of them”. After he graduated with no particular idea of his Norman always acknowledged that his French future, brief experience as a schoolmaster and an was “execrable”, and so began his address: IBM salesman could not satisfy so questioning a “‘Secretary-General, Gentlemen. At the request of personality, so Norman rejoined the Army in 1959, my French-speaking colleagues, I shall address you in serving with the Royal Army Service Corps in Egypt, English.’ (I paused, and got my laugh.) ‘At the much Aden, and Germany. A posting to Northern Ireland more urgent request of my English-speaking was not always comfortable for a Catholic with a colleagues, I shall speak at one-third of my normal Protestant wife: in 1961 Norman married Charlotte speed’”. This drew shouts of laughter, “mingled with Archibald, daughter of a Scottish Presbyterian cries of incredulity from those who knew me best”. clergyman. Final retirement allowed Norman to return In time he was moved to a Whitehall desk as a virtually full-time to his special interest in Ministry of Defence logistics officer, where long Wodehouse and london.