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Photos courtesy Dave Finch Email condolences received via Budokwai website - click here to send your own From: Roy Harban [mailto:Roy@judogb.co.uk]
Sent: 20 August 2001 13:08
To: Dr Diana Birch Budokwai
Subject: Re: Charles Palmer
Thank You for letting me know of the death of Charles
Palmer, he will be greatly missed by many who have recognised his great input to
British Judo. I would like you to pass on my condolences to his family. I
personally feel we have lost one of the corner stones of British Judo.
Roy Harban
From: d. etchells-butler. [etchellsbutler@btinternet.com]
Sent: 19 August 2001 15:29
To: Dr Diana Birch
Subject: Re: Charles Palmer
Dear Dr. Birch,
On behalf of the Eastern
Area I should like to
express our sorrow at hearing of
the sad news about
Charles Palmer. Without doubt, a great man in Judo.
He will be sadly missed.
Yours in Judo,
David Etchells-Butler
Eastern Area Secretary.
From: Peter Bellamy
[mailto:petergbellamy@hotmail.com]
Sent: 20 August 2001 13:51
Subject: Chas
Importance: High
Dear Diana,
Arthur Tansley passed your e-mail on to me
last night but I was a little too sad to respond until now.
I've known Chas since 1957 when I
joined the Budokwai. We've shared laughs, tea and spent hours together on the
tatami until I came to Japan in August 1964. We only lived about 300 yards away
from each other. Since then, we've met, either at his flat in Hollywood
Road or at the new penthouse pad which I last visited in 1992 when I went over
to bury my parents. There are many things I could write and reminisce over
the years but right now I feel a sense of loss that is too profound for me to
wish to sit down and put pen to paper.
In sadness, Peter Bellamy
From: Hazel Lister [mailto:ListerH@post.croner.co.uk]
Sent: 20 August 2001 08:37
To: Diana@budokwai.org
Subject: Re: Charles Palmer
Diana - very sad news. Many thanks for letting me know
- I have told Malcolm Lister, who will get in touch with any other old friends
of Charles that he can by 'phone. I met Charles a few months after I started
practising judo - (45 years ago) and I have always attributed the skills I
acquired to his good teaching.
Please keep me informed about the funeral arrangements.
Hazel
From: Seref Erbas [mailto:Seref.Erbas@aexp.com]
Sent: 20 August 2001 08:54
To: Dr Diana Birch Budokwai
Subject: Re: Charles Palmer
Dear Diana,
Please give my condolence to all the family and I will
be praying for Charles.
Seref.
From: Yolanda Dunne
Sent: 20 August 2001 05:06
Subject: RE: from yolanda
hi diana. got
your e-mail re charles palmer and although i did not know
him that well, i am sorry to hear of his passing away.
From: Mel Appelbaum
[mailto:MiddieMD@aol.com]
Sent:
20 August 2001 00:42
Subject:
Re: Charles Palmer Hi Dr. Birch: I am saddened by the news of Charles Palmer's passing. I had the pleasure of spending time with Charlie at the Macabbiah Games in 1985 in Isreal. He will be missed.
Regards,
From: J&A Bluming [mailto:bluming@wanadoo.nl]
Sent: 19 August 2001 19:19
To: 'Dr Diana Birch Budokwai'
Subject: RE: Charles Palmer
Dear Dr Diana , I am very sorry to hear that old Charly
is now teaching higher up and I hope that I will meet him their if my time comes
.I have never in life met him but heard from Donn Dreager (my friend and
teacher) that he was a terrific judoka and that in Kodokan nobody could throw
him and that at one time he tore the gi right of one of the famous japanese in
those days when he nearly threw the japanese .
I came a few months after Palmer left , to Kodokan . His good friend
Maurice Gruel was always with him in those days and they really fought ( I have
seen Maurice throw the best of them ) and at night still found the energy to
paint the town red .
I am not a particular religious man but I certainly
will remember him as one of the pioneers in Judo .
Please accept my condolances .
Thanks for keeping me informed .
Yours in Budo . Jon Bluming 10th dan all round karate ,
9th dan Judo
Both from Japan .
From: atansley [mailto:atansley@hpo.net]
Sent: 19 August 2001 13:57
To: Dr Diana Birch Budokwai
Subject: Re: Charles Palmer
Dear Dr. Diana, I was very sorry to hear about Charles Palmer's demise.
The last time that we met was many years ago at the Nippon Budokan when he came
over to the press bench and spoke to me. Chas was always very pleasant and
helpful, always ready to answer questions or demonstrate a technique.
He invited me to join his noon time classes at the
Budokawai just to toss the others around. He would use a kendo shinai to point
out mistakes, hitting uke on his chest, and tori on his shoulder saying
"Put that sore spot onto that sore spot." A unique way of teaching
that drove home a particular point. I was practicing Kendo at the LJS when Chas appeared
with a Japanese hachidan who showed us various kata and gave us training advice.
Chas interpreted everything that he said.
There is no doubt in my mind that Charles Palmer was
one of the great personalities of British and world judo. He will be sadly
missed.
Arthur Tansley in Tokyo
From: john mewett
[mailto:john.mewett@btinternet.com]
Sent: 19 August 2001 05:46
To: Diana Birch Budokwai
Subject: Charles Palmer
Diana
I
was very sad to hear the news of Charlies' death.
Please
convey my sympathy to his family and close friends.
With
Charlies death British Judo and British sport has lost this countries finest
ambassador of the last fifty years.............he is irreplaceable.
Sincerely
John Mewett
From:
Alan Menzies [mailto:wingfeld@ouvip.com]
Sent:
21 August 2001 09:46
To:
Dr Diana Birch Budokwai
Subject:
Tuesday
Dr
Birch - Thank you for the note
about Charles. Obvious sorry to hear about his death, I knew him a long time and
travelled all over Europe with him on EJU business. Judo has lost a fine
champion of the sport who did more
for Judo than most other people since the end of the second world war. Alan
Menzies From Brian N, Watson Tokyo
差出人 :
bnw
<bnw@gol.com>
Re:
Charles Palmer
I
was sorry to hear of the passing of Charles Palmer.
Never
one to shun the limelight, Charles was a complex, sometimes controversial and
certainly one of judo's most colourful characters.
A
judo politician and administrator, he gave to the B.J.A. and later to the I.J.F.
the necessary leadership that helped judo achieve much more prominence on the
stage of international sport. Brian N, Watson
From:
Gallie ' [onegallie@hotmail.com]
Sent:
23 August 2001 20:53
Subject:
Charles Palmer
It
is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Charles Palmer.
Charles
was Sensei, Counsellor and Friend to us. The world has lost some of
its
colour and a very special man.
Christine
and Peter Gallie
From:
Ken Knott [mailto:k0k@psu.edu]
Sent:
30 August 2001 00:14
To:
Diana@Budokwai.org
Subject:
Charlie Palmer
Dear
Diana:
Thanks
for letting me know about Charlie. I hadn't seen him for almost forty years
- but he was still unforgettable. I had many differences of opinion with
Charlie, but he never took a difference of opinion as something personal. This
could not be said for one of the National Coaches.
I
am sure that you have many stories about Charlie, but here is a side of him that
many people didn't see. Shortly after he returned from Japan, the Midlands Area
employed him for one week to visit some clubs, and to teach a
weekend
course in Lilleshall. There was a strong disagreement as to the reasonableness
of his expenses. The area didn't pay him, but that didn't prevent him coming to
help the Clubs, and the area when they needed it.
After
completing the course at Lilleshall, Charlie went to my parents home for dinner.
I invited him because no one had made arrangements to look after him that
evening, so he was an unexpected dinner guest. This was not unusual, and my
Mother loved to cook. She was just not expecting an appetite like Charlie's!
She did manage to feed him, and he went to his hotel in a good frame of
mind. Several weeks after that visit, both my parents had
serious, and protracted illnesses. During that time, Charlie telephoned
my home every day to enquire after their health. My parents were avid Judo fans,
and visited all the Budokwai contests and shows. Without fail, Charlie always
sought them out and made sure they had good, and comfortable seating.
This
view of Charlie supercedes his Judo and his "somewhat" flamboyant
personality.
Ken
Knott
From:
Richard Bancroft Anne Bancroft [mailto:annebancroft@lineone.net]
Sent:
31 August 2001 17:40 To: Diana@budokwai.org
Subject:
letter
Thank
you for letting me know about Charlie Palmer's funeral. I'm sorry not to have
been able to reply before but hope this may be useful. Charlie was someone who
was quite a legend when I started at Budokwai, one of the great figures like T.P.
Leggett, who seldom appeared and Geoff Gleason. In my examination for 1st Dan I
was banged accidentally on one eye and very soon had a bruise like half an egg.
I think it was Charlie who asked if I would like to stop. Knowing that at my age
I wouldn't have a second chance, particularly as I was about to retire and was
going to leave London, I said I would like to continue. I can't remember whether
I actually scored a point but it was Charlie, I think, who soon said my
technique was not brilliant but in view of my excellent fighting spirit 1St Dan
would be awarded. In Exmouth, the second place we moved to after retirement, a
local electrician working in our house saw the picture of the Cambridge
University
Judo
team. It turned out he had been at the Budokwai and remembered Charlie as 'an
irresistible tank on two legs.' With best wishes to you and all at the Budokwai
Richard
Bancroft
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