(Note – This summary is written by his son Michael Naylor and links to various chapters of his life which were written by Peter in his late 60s and early 70s)

Peter Ernest Naylor was born on 17th Aug 1929 in Bourne End.

He went to kindergarten in Bourne End.

Moved to Cookham Dean in approx 1937. The house in Cookham Dean was Little Mount.
(see The Early Years)

Went to St.Pirans School, Maidenhead, Berks.
(see Prep School Years)

2nd World War. Father Philip Naylor was working for ICI and ICI lent him to the Ordnance Factory in Bridgend, Wales to head the factory there making Naval shells.

They lived for a time in a house called ‘Sea Walls’, Ogmore-by-sea, Nr Bridgend. The Radley letters for winter 1943 talk about a house move and there is an envelope addressed to Llancarreg, Southerdown, Nr Bridgend. By July 1945 they had moved back to Little Mount, Cookham Dean ( now worth over £4.5m (2025))!

The Gummers came and stayed at Little Mount during the war so that refugees did not live in the house. The Gummers were friends from Ealing. There is a story of the Naylors and Gummers going shooting for pheasant in Ealing!

Dean Cottage (Cookham Dean Bottom, Cookham Dean, SL6 9AR) was rented in 1940 and Little Mount rented to Jews. Gummers built a house in Cookham Dean after the war.

By Christmas 1940 in Wales. In a farm house in Southerndown. Morgans on the corner as you go down to Southerdown. Moved to a rented cottage in Ogmore-on-sea / Southerndown – Llancarreg – on top on drop down to the beach.

Journeys to Wales meant that Peter needed to leave St Pirans a day early to get from Maidenhead.

Peter then went to Radley (G Social Morgans, 1943-1947). At Radley he was a Prefect, rowed in the 1st VIIIs of 1946 and 1947 and was a member of the rugby XV of 1947.  His brother Michael dies in a Mosquito plane crash and is sadly missed. (note Michael Naylor had a girlfriend who was working a Dunravan Castle Military Hospital. They were nearly engaged when Michael died. Enid kept in contact with her for a long time.)
(see Radley Years – Part 1 and Part 2)

Seemed to be a big theatre goer in the 1946-50 period – This list if from all the programmes found. They have been thrown away as have no value except as a record of shows attended.

1946

• Jan 1st – While the Sun Shines at the Globe Theatre
• Jan 5th – Under the Counter at the Phoneix Theatre Charing Cross Rd, London
• Jan 16th – No Medals at the Vaudeville Theatre, Strand, London
• 19th Nov – Anthony and Cleopatra at the New Theatre Oxford
• Dec 20th – Here Come the Boys at the Saville Theatre – Shaftsbury Avenue, London

1947

• Jan 2nd – Clutterbuck at the Wyndham’s Theatre
• Jan 11th – Pick-Up Gril by Elsa Shelley at the Prince of Wales Theatre Cardiff
• Apr 18th – Orthello at the Picadilly Theatre
• The Winslow Boy at the Lyric Theatre
• The Dancing Years by Ivor Norvello at the Casino Theatre
• Sept – Crime and Punishment at the Globe Theatre featuring John Gielgud
• 19th and 20th Sept – Bless the Bride at the Adelphi Theatre
• Wed Sept 2? – 1066 and All That at the Palace Theatre
• Song of Norway at the Palace Theatre
• Dec 24th The Night and the Music at the London Coliseum

1948

• Jan 15th Perchance to Dream by Ivor Norvello at the London Hippodrome
• Feb 17th – The Linden Tree at the Duchess Theatre
• Apr 22nd – St Joan at the New Theatre
• Apr 24th (2nd night) – The Life and Death of King Richard II at the New Theatre
• Merchant of Venice – the Old Vic Theatre
• Amharclann na Mainistreach at the Abbey Theatre
• Is your Honeymoon really necessary at the Duke of Yorks Theatre
• 11th Oct – First Concert of the New Era Concert Society at the Albert Hall

1949

• The Lady’s not for Burning at the Globe Theatre
• Camelot with Richard Burton and Julie Andrews at the Majestic Theatre
• Sept 28th – King’s Rhapsody by Ivor Norvello at the Palace Theatre – Cambridge Circus, London

1950

• The 2nd part of the History of Henry the Forth at the Arts Theatre of Cambridge
• The Razors Edge at the Regal Cambridge

Rugby

• Oxford vs Cambridge Twickenham Dec 6th 1949

Family move back to Little Mount, Cookham Dean before VE day 1945. His father Philip goes back to work at ICI.

Little Mount put on the market 1950 as it was too big for the Naylors (Philip and Enid) – it was just before the Korean War – and so could not be sold as a result. Eventually moved in 1951/52. During all this time they had been going down to Wales and had discovered the Usk valley.

Dennis was by then a vet a Llanidloes. Dennis was engaged to an Admirals daughter working as a shepard on Pen P (mountain) – the source of the Severn and Wye rivers.
The family started going down to Llandydir to fish. Weekend of the Arham airdrop 1994 (note: Julian Mellis’ father in law was a tank man and organised all the armoured vehicles in the film a dridge to far.)

Philip and Enid used to stay in the Red Lion in Llandydir. Then started going to the Coach and Horses. Then found the Gliffith hotel on the Usk and started going there. Then found Cilwych – rented as a weekend cottage – house is between Bwlch and River Usk.

Peter leaves Radley in 1947.  It was the Radley Centenary and people stayed on as did Peter for 1 more term to try and get a scholarship to Cambridge. Postponed National Service.

Did not get scholarship and joined National Service in Feb 1947 – Liverpool. Went to N. Ireland. As he was a wireless operator at school the was moved from the Infantry in N. Ireland to the tank regiment at Catterick Yorkshire. 8th RTR – Royal Tank Regiment. Became a wireless operator in tanks. Worked with the instructor training other as he knew it all. 3-4 months there. Put before the New Officer Selection Board. WOSB. Gained commission. In July went to Aldershot as an Officer Cadet.

Following his National Service – including time in Malaya – Peter went up to Pembroke College, Cambridge, was awarded an Honorary Exhibition and rowed in the winning Henley Ladies’ Plate crew of 1951 and the Visitors’ crew of 1952.

He became an Agricultural Economist

Worked for Huntings Surveys in Iraq where he met Sarah.

Then went to Pakistan.

Bought house in the UK – 8 The Slype, Gustard Wood, Nr Wheathampstead, Herts, AL4 8RY.

Left Hunting Surveys in 196? and joined the World Bank.  Went to live in Washington DC, USA – Styversant Place.

Send to India and then Iran.  Back to Washington DC in 1979? to 4611 Yuma St, Washington DC, 20016.

He retired from the Bank in 1984.

Sarah died in 1989.

Went trekking to Nepal in 1998 – aged 71 – and spent two weeks trekking to the Annapurna Conservation Area. Old permits which have been thrown away show a fee paid on 14 Oct 1998 and entry permitted from 15th October to 29th October. I (Michael) can remember seeing he had lost lots of weight on his return.

Remarried in 1999 to Jill Mellis (nee Taylor).

Died in Gale Cottage, Hammoon, Dorset, DT10 2DB, United Kingdom, on August 16, 2005.