Geoff first met John in September 1987 when he knocked on the door of High Longmire Cottage (which Geoff had taken as a winter let whilst building HMS Upholder at Barrow)inviting Geoff for the first of many evening drinks. Geoff was especially pleased to invite John to the commissioning ceremony at Barrow when Upholder finally made it into service three years later. When I arrived at the cottage in January '88 as a new "naval wife" we soon forged what was to become for me a very special and precious friendship. Initially John was an interesting and companionable neighbour, later when we were living in Scotland he was an attentive and hospitable host when I stayed with him several times at Camberwell whilst attending a course nearby. We would make the most of any free time attending various galleries, exhibitions and concerts. I remember one in particular at the Royal Festival Hall when there was an unexpected firework display on the other side of
the river which John told me he had of course laid on especially! I also have memories of a rather moving day-trip to Cambridge where he showed me his old haunts. I detected a hint of nostalgia for a lost youth and it really brought home to me what that generation of young men had given up for us. I was very glad a few years later to help John make contact with his old Cambridge friend Christopher Milne, who lived near us, and after Christopther had died John would visit his widow Lesley - that is typical of John - a constant and caring friend. He truly did have a gift for friendship. Later we enjoyed reading John's war memoirs and I know that our son Henry would be fascinated to read them now that he is older.
What I found so special about John was that despite the difference in our ages (40 years!!)and lives he was always so interested, empathetic and understanding - such a good friend and such good company. We shared many common interests - he taught me a lot about gardening and I taught him how to make blackcurrant jelly (an easy way to deal with all those lb's of blackcurrants!) John was a good correspondant and he and Janet visited us in many places - Devon, Scotland, Surrey and Moscow and I have so many happy memories of time spent in those places with them. One of his greatest acts of friendship was recording the omnibus edition of the Archers and faithfully sending it out to Moscow every week for three years! (I think Jet deputised once or twice during John's travels).
As the children arrived and grew up he was always interested in their exploits and would join in their games. A special memory is of a remarkably agile John teaching Henry to bowl a googlie when he was well into his eighties. But most of all of course we think of him at the cottage, settling down by the fire, supper cooking, with a vodka and tonic, bombay mix and either the Archers on the radio or a piece of Haydn or Brahms chamber music playing on the stereo. For us there would also be the promise of an evening of interesting conversation full of fascinating memories, John sitting in his chair with a contented and peaceful smile on his face and that twinkle in his eye. John's friendship has enriched all our lives and we will miss him.
Sheena and Geoff McCready
I first came across John in the mid-1960s in the Ministry of Power when I was newly promoted and he became my boss. His reputation for immaculate use of clear English preceded him - but I soon found that it was only one of so many virtues that he had. Our working paths continued to cross for some fifteen years up to and including the time when he was the Government representative on the Board of BNOC; and we continued to keep in touch socially - ending with his 2008 Christmas card suggesting it was time we got together for another lunch. I could not have wished for a better boss or colleague; and count myself lucky to have known him as a friend.
Jerry Evans
When I first came back to England after 20 years of living abroad he was the first person to befriend me and even at the age of nearly 70 he raced me up the escalators - me in my early 40's and was every bit as fast as me.
Rachel Graham
I was one of the girls that John met on his travels. I have always had a strong affection for John and his friendship.
I first met John in Darjeeling in January 1991 when it was freezing cold and we were both taking shelter in a café to try and warm up. We then spent a few days ambling in the hills together. After that I have always kept in touch with your father, and he very kindly had myself and a few friends to stay at Low Longmire when I was planning a trip to South America. Since then we have met in London for coffees and lunches.
Melissa Grafton
John was a lovely man, with quirky sides which made me smile, and ever so open minded. I would like to tell you how I met him, as I feel that's very typical of him, and very sweet.
We met on the train platform in Ulverston a couple of years ago (I used to live there until March this year). He started talking to me on the platform, I politely responded but not too warmly. We went onto the train and he sat behind me. I can't remember the details of the journey, except that we talked most of the journey (to London I believe?) and it was the most enjoyable journey I've ever had. He told me about things he had done during the war, about his travels, and so many stories. He was lovely and absolutely fascinating. Towards the end of the journey I was tired, he told me to sleep and that he would let me know when we'd arrive.
I went to see him several times when he was up in the Lakes, we had lunch or dinner together. He always had great stories (he lent me his memoirs of the war for a while, which I loved) and was always interested in mine.
I am honoured to have known such a great man, and I think anybody who has known him will feel the same.
Sonia Bressey
I met John in Vietnam, on China beach, in 1996. We kept in touch and I finally got to have lunch with him again in Cambridge in Dec 2004. He was always so interested in what I was up to and very supportive of my medical career and having children etc. I just loved hearing all his stories from around the world and of course in Oxford (where I had also lived). What and amazing memory he had! He always remembered interesting facts about the places he had been and people he had met. He talked a lot about his family too. And what a computer savvy man. I hope I am still emailing at 88!
I truely feel like I have lost a friend but I am so happy that I had the pleasure I meeting him. I know he will be dearly missed.
Libby Crisp
We have been very lucky to have counted him as a dear friend for over 20 years and will miss him greatly. Strangely on Saturday evening I was talking with our 12 year old son Henry about John and his wartime experiences. Henry held John in great esteem particularly as he was a Desert Rat and a cricket lover - sadly I had not yet told John that Henry had been awarded colours for rugby at the end of term, I know he would have been pleased for him and I had hoped that John would be able to come and hear Henry sing at Exeter Cathedral, where he is a chorister, sometime this year. All our children loved John and our visits to the cottage were always very much looked forward to.
I would like to put more thoughts on paper about John and will do so in due course, particularly regarding how very special he was and how privileged we were to count him as a friend. We shared so many happy times together and he taught me so much I just hope he knew how loved he was.
Sheena McCready
I was very sorry to hear of John's death
I worked for John in The Continental Shelf Policy Division at The Department of Energy in the mid to late 1970's. The Division conducted negotiations for Government participation in Noth Sea oil development. The most strenuous and memorable project on which I worked closely with him was the Government's negotiations in the summer of 1976 to buy the major share of Burmah Oil's stake in the Thistle oilfield in the North Sea for the newly created British National Oil Corporation (BNOC). Tensions ran high as Burmah was close to bankruptcy, and the Government, which had to seek an emergency loan from the IMF, was likewise in difficulty. John, never overbearing and always reassuring, gave me, inexperienced though I was in these matters, the confidence to do what was needed to be done at my level, while himself securing the necessary backing from the Secretary of State,Tony Benn, and seeing to it that the BNOC board was able to play its proper part without torpedoing the deal.
John was always well informed and in command of the situation. He delegated successfully, keeping control while never making us , his subordinates, feel that he was second guessing us. He was calm, corteuous , firm and decisive, whether dealing with oil moguls, the combative Lord Kearton (chairman of BNOC), or Labour Ministers.
John Liverman was a fine example of what a senior civil servant should be. At the time he was dealing with it, North Sea oil was the country's most important asset. His stewardship served the country well, and I am proud to have been associated with him.
Christopher Wilcock CB
I worked directly to him in his last post in the Department of Energy. He was the ideal boss. That is to say, he set clear objectives and kept himself informed of your progress, but never interfered unnecessarily. He was always available to give guidance where required and was always interested in what you were doing, the problems and how you were approaching them; but he gave you the sense that he had confidence in you and saw no need to try to do your job himself. I had the highest regard for him.
He was also a man with a sense of proportion. He was serious at work, but it did not occupy him to the exclusion of all else (as was the case for some others). As I understand it, he lived a full and unusual life in retirement. The end has to come to us all and I am glad for him that that end was swift, as described, and fulfilled his own wishes.
Robert Priddle
We first met John Liverman in about 1990 in Malaysia. He was on one of him many backpacking trips to the far east where he endeavoured to travel and live in the way of the natives. We were all staying in a government hostel where he declined to dine, preferring to eat on the street. We gave him a lift in our hire car to Penang where he interested us in the delights of Chinatown and we stayed in a hotel there which was an experience to be believed!
Subsequently we became friends. He visited us at our home in Northumberland several times. We went to birthday parties at Grace Mews and at the Civil Service Club. We had happy times at Low Longmire and we walked together on lakeland fells and in the evening we were able to peruse his collection of Wisden Almanacs.
His last visit to Northumberland was in a cold November with snow forecast. In spite of this he insisted on going to Holy Island; we packed spade, clothes and sustenance in the back of the car. Fortunately they were not needed and we had a memorable day there! Quite by chance we were in Oxford in 2007 and able to make a brief visit to his new flat.
He was a very modest man, it took time to become fully aware of his war time experiences, his distinguished career in the civil service and his profound knowledge of events and places.
John & Jean Le Gassicke
I met John in India. He started talking to me in a railway carriage. This was typical of John. He really enjoyed travelling on his own, as it allowed him to be less of a “tourist”. But he also loved company. So he would make friends along the way - and I was one of the lucky ones to meet him. He was insistent on travelling in the least intrusive and most modest way – walking if it was less than a few miles (even with a rucksack) or taking a local bus. I once tried to get him to take a rickshaw but this was much too luxurious for him.
Although he was by then retired, he was happy to cope with rickety little hotels and roadside eateries, with rice and dahl featuring prominently. He quickly picked up the “waiting game” –a necessary part of travel in rural India, as buses and trains can be hours later than expected. But he didn’t always get it right. Shortly before I met him he had spent about 6 hours on a train waiting for it to depart, only to find it was going nowhere. He was gently amused by this, and not at all frustrated.
As he travelled more adventurously we would usually meet for lunch after his return and he would recount his traveller’s tales. He was always interested in the history and also the people he encountered. We also shared a love of the countryside and hills in particular
As a fellow civil servant, we often talked about politics and policy and he would draw on his wealth of experience without ever boasting or putting others down
I was moved by his war diaries – especially as I had recently returned to Normandy with my father to see where he had fought.
When he moved to Oxford we used to meet from time to time for a Chinese lunch. He talked philosophically about ageing – about the aches and pains and limitations which he tried, strenuously, to minimise.
He was a very good listener with an excellent memory for previous conversations and for people, which meant that we could readily pick up where we left off even after a number of months. He had a real gift for friendship and I feel very fortunate to have had him as my friend.
Anne Willcocks
Yehudi was a term of abuse we used against arabs as we haggled over eggs-for-tea transactions. But it was also the affectionate title we in the Regimental Survey Party used for Mr. Liverman, our O/C. (Neither use would be allowed today.)
He was only one of a series of officers. The others went on to higher ranking posts, but he remained a lieutenant in spite of his outstanding ability as an artillery officer and his skill in dealing with his subordinates. We in the survey party thought of ourselves as rather special, a notion Regimental Sergeant Major Millard took every opportunity to dispel. Mr. Liverman was always willing to take our part. I think he rather envied the other-ranks' free-thinking response to the demands of military discipline, submitting when it was necessary, but sidestepping its obvious excesses.
As the survey process became more streamlined, we all took on new jobs, e.g.Foy as a tank driver in CC Battery, Clere as Major Wells's assistant in K. It was then that John took his most important wartime role as personal assisitant to Colonel Gregson who was increasingly under the strain of responsibility for his regiment and the gunners of all ranks under his command.
Composed, confident of their approval, on behalf of the Survey Party 5th Regiment RHA, wherever they are and whether alive or dead:
Sergeant Rowe
Bombadier Timms
Gunners Isserlis, Selfe, Wharton, Caines,Foy, Clere and Coombs
I said I would send a few more memories of Granddad. I'm not good a writing a little paragraph, so they are more of a list.
- rolling my tongue - because of my favorite picture from when I was little is of me sitting on his lap with my tongue out.
- him teaching me how to play chess.
- going up into the attic of the cottage to find his coins.
- watching Wimbledon while "top and tailing" the gooseberries he had just picked when I was up at the cottage with just him last summer.
- climbing fells with him.
Beth Liverman