Rob Littlefield’s sudden death came as a great shock to his family, friends and ex-colleagues. Proof if any were needed as to how much loved and respected he was evident in the wonderful turnout for his Thanksgiving Service in the Episcopal church in Bearsden. Thousands of pupils will have known him and benefited from his expertise at the Academy, whether it was on the rugby field, in the gym, on the athletics field or in other sporting disciplines. His aim was to get as many pupils involved in as many sports as possible, and he was delighted when one year it emerged that the Academy had competed in no less than 19 different sports. He was just as happy taking a Prep School “C” team as he was coaching the First XV.
After leaving the Academy he studied for an MSc, taught at the Nautical College and was involved in the SRU Pathways mentoring scheme amongst others before ending his career at Craighead School, a Special Needs School in Lanarkshire, this final job giving him particular pleasure. To all those who knew him at the Academy his true personality really shone through outside the school environment, as hopefully the following anecdotes will show.
I met Rob for the first time when I joined the Academy in January 1974, and we remained lifelong friends. It was always a pleasure to be in his company in the hills; his map-reading skills were exemplary, and he always put you at your ease, whatever the situation or the weather conditions might be. I recall an amusing occasion during an overnight camp with some senior pupils in the CCF near Blair Atholl one Easter. There was a cold wind blowing as I attempted to heat up some army compo sausages. Rob’s comment was that they were actually quite tasty, but that it would be inadvisable to look at them as you ate, as you would be aware of the fat congealing on them on the outside as they cooled. He was right on both counts. (Alan Hutchinson)
Part of my commitment on joining the school was to coach squash, and as Head of Games Rob was always supportive. He regularly visited the courts at Anniesland to encourage the squash players after finishing his rugby practice and was always supportive of the Prize Giving event at the end of the season. He was a valued colleague and perfect gentleman.
It was however through our mutual involvement with the CCF that I really got to know him. He was not particularly interested in the theory and practice of strategy, not really feeling at ease when in uniform, but he saw the CCF as an ideal vehicle to provide opportunities for pupils to participate in a whole range of outdoor activities, and used them to the full.
In the late 1980s The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme was in its infancy at the school, but it was a perfect fit for the ethos of the CCF and the officers involved at the time. Under Rob’s guidance, the first DofE expedition took place outside the UK, with army accommodation being reserved in Bavaria and expeditions planned in the foothills of the Alps. To prepare for one particular expedition he led some more adventurous souls up a “Klettersteig”, a fixed rope climbing route, with the rope being metal, incidentally! The weather had been hot and sunny, and as the supervising staff, dripping with sweat, trudged up the final hill and who did we see but a group of 6th Formers sitting on the packed veranda of a local hostelry. Unlike many colleagues who would have loudly berated such boys at the top of their voice, Rob remained very calm. He became ever quieter, with a steely look in his eyes. As we approached the waitress placed several beer Steins on the table, at which point the boys got up and left, with barely a word. Rob turned to his companions and said: “Well, gentlemen, it would be a shame if this empty table went to waste.” (Andrew Evans)
Back in the late 70s Rob and I were fortunate enough to take groups of Glasgow Academy boys adventurous training under the auspices of the CCF. They were exciting and fun times. Torridon, Skye, the Cairngorms, Strontian, Hoy, Kintail and Glencoe were some of the destinations. There was no better chap to be with on the hills than Rob. He was highly experienced, completely unflappable and very modest. He was also great company and we remained life-long friends.
Returning to Scotland in retirement, I organised the Crieff Drovers’ Tryst Walking Festival. Rob assisted me on some of the walks. On what sadly turned out to be the last time we were on the hills together I was leading a walk on the Cateran Trail above the Spittal of Glenshee and stopped to describe the surrounding distant mountains to the group. I was pretty confident that once I had located Schiehallion (the one that looks like a pointy mountain should look like) the rest would fall into place. I fund the pointy one and burbled on. Everyone was suitably impressed with my knowledge of the mountainous landscape. Rob stood aside smiling. He let the group move on, discreetly turned me through 180 degrees and chuckled. “John, I think you’ll find that’s Schiehallion over there.” (John Cummings)
Rob’s sudden passing saddened many, but after 26 years of encouraging pupils in all types of sport, his legacy will surely live on for many years to come.
Thanks to Tessa, Richard and Peter for some additional material.