Neil McIntosh, 1947 - 2026

This was published in February 2026

This was published in The Times on Wednesday 25th February 2026.

One rainy afternoon on a camping trip in France we all took refuge in the McIntosh gîte. No doubt we entertained ourselves splendidly but the one recollection I have is of Neil performing Little Rabbit Foo Foo with extraordinary gusto and even violence. I am not sure I’ve ever laughed quite so much as at Neil’s Good Fairy. Still brings tears - mostly of joy - to my eyes. Olivia x

Immediately after Finals Neil drove Gaby (Saper as she was then) and I to Edinburgh in his mini for our first trip to Scotland. Somewhere along the way with dawn coming up we ran out of petrol, fortunately near a hotel with a car park, with no locked petrol tanks in those days Neil managed to "borrow" some petrol so we could continue... I met Neil again once in the VSO days and then enjoyed a long chat at the York 50th Reunion in 2013. Your woodland final resting place is wonderful. Simon Maddison