Page 59 - Old Ratcliffian Magazine 2019

ANDREW RAMEN

OLD RATCLIFFIAN 1978 - 1983

Andrew relished the summer for his adored country walks. He
would declare daily after midwinter how many minutes earlier OBITUARIES
the sun would rise and later it would set, until sufficient daylight
enabled ventures into the North Downs or Chilterns. My wife,
Caroline, and I knew Andrew for over 30 years, from him dropping
by when hungry or with his dressing gown when poorly, until he
finally shared our home with us on being diagnosed in 2008 with
an incurable brain tumour.
I first met Andrew on 28th July 1986; he was 21 and had graduated
in Middle Eastern History and Politics at SOAS. Sharing similar
interests – walking, travel, history, archaeology, architecture,
music, books, London – we became inseparable, though, in all
respects, Andrew’s formidable knowledge and fervour left me in
the shade. He introduced me to opera; we were invariably up in
‘the gods’, with Andrew’s 6’4” frame folded haphazardly into a
tiny seat, and his budget stretching to interval hot chocolate. An In Syria, months before civil war began, we visited Homs, Hama, the
accomplished polymath, he was an avid attendee of exhibitions Krak des Chevaliers, and Aleppo’s legendary Great Mosque and
and a keen patron of the Royal College of Music. His Cinema Club souq, which are all now largely or completely destroyed. Near the
viewed what its committee – consisting of Andrew – considered Iraqi border, our driver threatened to trade us in to the insurgents.
to be each season’s best 20 films, and for 20 years, Andrew was A long silence followed, finally broken by our driver’s hysterical
one of the British Museum’s most respected volunteer guides in its laughter. In Iran, Andrew was lionised, due to a knowledge of the
Ancient Greek, Egyptian and Meso-American galleries.
country’s politics, history and culture that far exceeded that of the
Born in Caxton, Cambridgeshire, to Sarah and Ray Ramen, Andrew locals. His ability to speak Farsi and his good looks also helped; if I
attended Carre’s Grammar School, before boarding at Ratcliffe lost sight of him, the nearest huddle of giggling girls would reveal
College from 1978 to 1983, where his position as librarian sated his him holding court. Here, with prescience, Andrew insisted that we
thirst for knowledge and, through wily machinations, secured his visit the World Heritage city of Bam, which was later destroyed in
absence from Games. an earthquake.
From the outset, Andrew, Caroline and I were dedicated walking Andrew relished his adventures, writing in July 2017: “I know I’m
companions. We eventually completed most of Britain’s long- lucky to be able to go on these holidays. I heard that US Republican
distance footpaths, culminating in 2017 with a stretch of Andrew’s Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with a brain tumour of
favourite South West Coast Path, after which he was, sadly, too the same type as mine, and like mine – diagnosed almost eight
ill to continue. His interests took us to Continental Europe, Crete, years ago – it is aggressive and his life expectancy is low. Like me,
Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, the US and Mesoamerica, Iran, he has been given just eighteen months, though he is 80 and I
Uzbekistan, and Cambodia; his modus operandi was to travel was 44. Whenever I have to give something up, I think back to
independently, to explore, and to discover. that time, and how I am now having the time of my life on our
wonderful planet.”
After two years of stockbroking in the late 1980s, Andrew was (to
the surprise of his equally unfortunate colleagues) delighted to Andrew’s consideration for others was humbling. Suffering
be made redundant; the pay-off funded an adventurous Eastern avascular necrosis himself, he would give up his tube seat to elderly
European tour, during which time he secured a coveted position travellers and stand in pain for the remainder of his journey. In
at Mayfair’s Heywood Hill bookshop, overseeing travel and history. December 2017, he wrote: “I know I go on about ancient buildings,
Staying there for 18 years, he made many lifelong friends. Roman emperors and clifftop viewpoints, but none of these is as
important to me as the people that I am honoured enough to know
His excursions became more adventurous. A lesser-known Cretan as friends.”
river gorge between vertical cliff faces presented no exit other
than where it spewed into the sea. Too late, Andrew discovered In his last summer, Andrew sailed through the qualifying rounds
its tendency to flood, finally emerging at the coast, rucksack aloft, of television’s Mastermind, only to have to relinquish his place
chest-deep in water that was tapioca-thick with frogspawn. At in the 2018 filming at Salford when his health failed. This was a
first, he was horrified by the ordeal, but soon he was elated at tremendous blow, but Andrew never complained as his illness
his Indiana Jones near-death experience. Andrew’s joy at natural became ever more debilitating. While he had many lifetimes of
phenomena took us up a Turkish mountain to witness 1999’s total journeys and adventures planned, he was cruelly denied the
eclipse; our backpacks were laden with mosquito nets, Imodium, timespan that many of us take for granted. But if one is to be
and maps so detailed that amazed Turks willingly accepted them judged by their achievements, the friends they have made, the
in lieu of currency. Later, in Istanbul, we were caught in one of help they have given to others, then, Andrew, you will be held
Europe’s worst earthquakes, in which 17,000 people died. We fled in the highest regard. A delightful, mild-mannered whirlwind of
our hotel with our most precious possessions – for us, passports, originality, eccentricity, curiosity and goodwill, you taught us how
and for Andrew, his radio. In the subsequent communications to live, and we are hugely indebted.
blackout, Andrew acquired hero status, as he triumphantly relayed David Edwards
to the enthralled locals hourly earthquake updates, as provided by Friend
his beloved World Service.
The Old Ratcliffian 2019 59