Jack Schennum

“I was at Robinson with Chris and I look back on that time with immense fondness, tinged now with the sadness that a part of those memories is no longer with us. 

Landy (as he was universally known) was a real college celebrity. Captain of the rugby team, ever-present in the bar, always warm and welcoming to all and sundry (especially if he thought he might be able to convince you to scrum down in the second row in the upcoming cuppers game), ready to engage you in debate or have you buy him a drink (he was a proud Scotsman, after all). 

One rugby memory that sticks in the mind is a cup encounter with a team 2 divisions above us. Chris had managed to convince some of the other university players to turn out for the college and we ended up fielding a very strong team that included a future Scotland international (sadly not Chris, despite his best efforts). We ran into an early lead but were starting to flag. As the opposition scored again and it looked like the game might be ebbing away from us, Landy gathered us in. He stood quietly for a second to catch his breath before launching into a heartfelt, furious, ardent speech, dramatically illustrated by extravagant gestures. Unbeknownst to Chris, his accent had been rendered completely incomprehensible by adrenaline, passion and an Edinburgh education. Luckily the message somehow leaked into our brains and incredibly, against all the odds, we went on to win. If cups were won solely on the heart and belief of our talisman we would've been crowned champions there and then... As it was, we were soundly beaten in the next round. 

Landy had the rare gift of being able to combine earnestness and charm. If I picture him now, it's with a smile on his face, probably in black tie, ready to throw an arm around your shoulder and pick up where we left off. It saddens me greatly that this will never happen. A real light. A tragic loss.”