Kester Field 1929 – 2008

September 6th, 2008 by JCB
Posted in Obituaries | No Comments »

Kester Field, retired Cinque Ports Pilot and PLA Pilot, died on the 23^rd March 2008 aged 79 years. Kester was born at Bookham, Surrey, on the 20^th March 1929. Living in Surrey all his young life he attended Purley County Grammar School until 1945 when he began his sea career on the Worcester until 1947. After his pre-sea training he joined the New Zealand Shipping Company serving for 10 years leaving in 1957 as Chief Officer.

Kester was in the RNR and did several tours of duty as Lieutenant Commander, including the Arctic Patrol during the cod war. Having decided he would like to be a pilot he joined the General Steam Navigation Company for Thames experience in 1959 before being accepted for the Trinity House Cinque Ports Pilotage in October 1961, transferring to the Port of London pilotage in 1988

Kester never regretted his decision, loved the profession, piloting every class of vessel from the first M-Class Shell tanker for Shellhaven to the Royal Yacht into Dover Harbour.

Kester married Margaret in 1957, maintained a superb garden near Folkestone, played golf and bridge, was a Magistrate for many years and managed to bring up 2 children, Andrew and Sylvia and spoil four grandsons. He had a healthy distrust of foreign countries, foreign languages and foreign food, extolling the virtues of New Zealand to such an extent that son Andrew promptly emigrated to see if it was true! This started Kester and Margaret’s many trips to New Zealand and Australia visiting family and friends. In later years he even managed visits to Madeira and France without being returned sewn in a tarpaulin!

Kester was an accomplished Norfolk Broads yachtsman and with his brother Mike and myself (neither of the brothers could cook) astounded me by sailing head into the wind-no mean feat.. However my serving them spaghetti bolognaise one night nearly ended a beautiful friendship!

In November 1994, after retirement, Kester and Margaret moved to north Cornwall to be near daughter Sylvia and the grandsons and for a daily fix of tide pool watching in St Ives Bay Whilst on a trip to New Zealand in February 2006 Kester suffered a minor stroke, which resulted in deteriorating health until sustaining a bad fall in March2008 from which he sadly never recovered, dying on the 23^rd March shortly after his 79^th birthday. Margaret, Andrew and Trudy, Sylvia and Dave, and the “Four Musketeers” greatly miss him.

John Godden (Cinque Ports & PLA pilot retd.)