Biff Vernon, 28 November 1952 – 5 January 2025

by Phil Mackie 17/2/25

Biff in his greenhouse, 19 May 2023, taken by his son Chris Vernon

It is with sadness that I announce my old friend and former year-mate Biff Vernon passed away on Sunday 5th January peacefully at home with his family.

Biff and I started at St. Mary’s in September 1963. It was only after we left school that I learned that he was born in November 1952, so would only have been 10 years old. He joined 1α whilst I was in 1A. But we may have shared some classes from 1965 onwards, as we chose which subjects to pursue to O and then A level. I recall Biff querying that when we made our choices at the end of the second year, he had no option for woodwork. After two years of making “The Tool Rack”, “The Broom Holder” and other perennial favourites of Mr Harding’s classes, we were expected to lay down our saws and spokeshaves in pursuit of more academic subjects. But despite being thwarted by the curriculum, Biff was not finished with woodwork. His early choices included biology and geography; already he was showing a keen interest in environmental issues that would become a passion.

Biff has contributed to the recorded history of St. Mary’s. In “We Did Our Homework On The Bus” he wrote of “Eccles” McLaughlin: “He taught me to think rationally and logically for myself and not accept things as true without evidence. This lesson has made the scientific method a defining feature of my adult life”. He makes a few appearances in the comments on my blog entry My Family Tree: St. Mary’s Grammar School, Chislehurst Road, Sidcup such as “There were certainly things we get up to that would be unimaginable in today’s ‘elf and safety led schools. Coating the chem lab floor with nitrogen triiodide so that it went bang-crackle-pop when anyone moved was a good one. And Graystone was a good sport to let Ned and me set up a fish tank in the entrance hall. It was just a ruse to be allowed to stay indoors at lunchtime”.

Biff and I shared some musical interests, mainly folk-oriented. When not away at university in the early 1970s, he often visited the Sunday night folk club at the Three Tuns in Beckenham, a venue associated with David Bowie’s early musical career. Performers at the Tuns included Al Stewart, Bridget St. John, Zoot Money, Steve Nice, who would later become famous as Steve Harley of Cockey Rebel, and local heroes Comus, who still enjoy a cult following. Biff was not involved with the ‘drumless-drummer’ debacle at one of the school dances. But he was part of a later and more successful schoolboy band. Our only gig was at St. Benet’s Folk Club, Abbey Wood in 1970 when we played a set including some Incredible String Band covers. It went down well with the audience, but in hindsight I wonder what we were thinking of to tackle “A Very Cellular Song” or “Three Is A Green Crown”.

Although his given name was Wilfred, he was always known as Biff. A Google search finds quite a few obituaries for Wilfred “Biff” Something-or-other. I have been told that it is a case of “Biff” is to “Wilfred” as “Bill” is to “William”. His grandfather Major Wilfred Vernon was Labour MP for Dulwich from 1945 to 1951. Biff attempted to follow in his footsteps in the 1979 General Election when he stood as a candidate for the then Ecology Party in Beckenham. He came fourth with 762 votes, but was happy to beat the National Front candidate, who polled only 606. Soon after, Biff moved with his family to Lincolnshire, where they bought a smallholding, growing fruit and vegetables and raising livestock. He did some occasional supply teaching but later took it up full time. After 30 years he picked up his tools again and started his own joinery business, making bespoke oak window frames for the restoration of old buildings.

Biff was well known for his environmental activism. His social media posts included much overtly political content, but it was to his credit that he always kept the debate civilised. He would argue his case but never resort to insults or personal attacks. Locally, he was actively involved with Transition Town Louth and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. He was part of the team that installed the Time and Tide bell in Mablethorpe. This is part of a series of installations by artist Marcus Vergette “To celebrate and reinforce connections in local communities, between different parts of the country, between the land and the sea, between ourselves and our environment”. He was a keen painter, and his artwork can be seen here Coloured Light.

Biff at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, taken by former classmate Keith Gardiner