extensive testing , he was inclined to suggest were anything but ! He became one of the most trusted craftsmen in his field and advised fellow clubmakers , European Tour professionals , gifted amateurs and those less fortunate , with equal enthusiasm and respect .
Richard ’ s career was cut short by the onset of motor neurone disease , but he has left a lasting legacy in his chosen field .
Jeremy Smith ( OS 1973 )
RICHARD KEMPTON 1948-2023
Richard attended St Thomas ’ s primary school and went on to Sevenoaks School in 1961 , following in his father Claude ’ s footsteps . He was proud of his education and his ability to translate anything from German to English .
After gaining his BA in Business and Languages at City of London Polytechnic , he went to work for Stone Manganese Marine , who made bronze propellers for tankers and bulk carriers . Ten years later Richard entered the field of computing , working for ISG and then Hardware 2000 , finally going back into sales at Salter , the kitchenware company based in Tonbridge .
In the early 1990s he decided to follow one of his passions , golf . He learned how to make golf clubs and set up a custom fit business in Hadlow . He named it Simply Golf and , with the help of industry icon Tom Wishon , became one of the most well-known and respected club makers in the UK and Europe . He was European Club Maker of the Year 2001-02 .
Richard ’ s thirst for knowledge and his engineering background led him to pioneer the new concept of Moment of Inertia ( MOI ) matching . This refined the major golf club manufacturers ’ claims of mass-produced matched sets which , following
NIGEL HENSON 1951-2024
Nigel Hugh George Henson was born in 1951 . Apart from golf , Nigel ’ s interests included writing , music and the countryside . After graduating from the University of Oxford , he used his writing skills in his career in corporate and marketing communications . Nigel represented clients including Unilever , Nationwide , Toyota , the London Docklands Development Corporation , the Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland and the European Union , working in London , Sydney and Brussels in senior consultancy roles .
Later , he pursued his love of the countryside and its traditional way of life , campaigning for the Countryside Alliance . Music remained Nigel ’ s private passion , playing the piano every day and always discovering new styles of music ; he loved everything from Bach to the Beach Boys to Jacob Collier . Nigel was also an enthusiastic supporter of the OS Golf Society .
Frances Holloway
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