Christopher Playford
Sunday 10 August 2025
Chris Playford started at HCS in September 1951. He gained a free place by passing the entrance exam. He lived at Tarrington and travelled to Hereford by Midland Red bus. This was due to arrive at 8:50 but was invariably late so he often missed the morning assembly held in the Lady Chapel.Chris was initially a very shy and reserved boy, but this gradually changed as he gained more confidence in speaking up. He enjoyed PE, cross country runs, and athletics, but was never much good at rugby or cricket. When in the sixth form he enjoyed rowing in clinkers and sculls. He became a monitor and was head of East House in his final year at school.He joined the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and rose to the rank of sergeant. He enthusiastically joined in all aspects of the CCF, playing the bugle in the band, and specialised in what was known as the signals section. The latter gave him good grounding in radio operation and electronics which was to serve him well in his career. He learned morse code and regularly operated the “12 set” at lunchtime to take part in the inter-schools weather service. Chris attended the annual CCF camps held at places like Kinmel Park and Castlemartin. On several occasions he went on specialist courses in the school holidays.He was quite bright academically, being in the top 3 or 4 in his form for most subjects.He left school in 1958 and headed off to Manchester University where he gained a degree in Electrical Engineering. It was at Manchester that he became a practising Christian believer as a result of attending a Christian Union meeting. He enjoyed being part of the Christian group at his Montgomery House hall of residence, and often gave short sermons at evening prayer. Later in life he regularly preached in his own and other chapels in the Hay area.Chris had a wanderlust nature, so when he left university he joined Seismograph Services, an oil prospecting company, operating and maintaining their electrical apparatus. This took him to Nigeria, Spain, Holland and the North Sea. After two seasons on the North Sea he decided to get a more settled job and in 1965 joined, as it was then called, English Electric Computers at Kidsgrove in Staffordshire. He lived at Sandbach where he met his wife-to-be Janet at nearby Wheelock Heath Baptist church. Although it changed names several times, and ended up as part of Fujitsu, Chris remained with the same company for 37 years. He progressed to the position of senior software engineer.In 1979 Chris transferred to the Bracknell branch, then in 1985 he decided to be “home based” so he, Janet and their three children moved to the Hay-on-Wye area.Chris was always keen on walking and travelling and was a keen member of the Ramblers’ Assocoaition. He and Janet visited most parts of the world. Chris used to visit the Alps and other mountain areas at least once a year, especially enjoying challenging Via Ferrata routes and long distance trails. In 1999 Chris joined Ramblers Holidays and led walks for ten years in Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Madeira, Corsica, and Peru.Chris took early retirement in 2011 to enable him to spend more time in the hills of mid Wales. He is survived by his wife Janet, three children and six grandchildren.Janet Playford