LEO HARRINGTON

Much loved and universally respected, Leo Harrington, formerly Librarian of Abergavenny Public Library, and vice-president of the Gwent Bach Society, died at Nevill Hall Hospital on 24 April 1997, in his eighty third year.

Leo King Harrington was born 'in Abergavenny on the 2nd of August 1914, just as the first. World War began. His father had moved to Abergavenny from Southampton, setting tip Ins 'daylight' photographic studios at 43 Frogmore

Street, above the premises presently occupied by Kwiksave, and it was here, at the hub of the town that the young Leo grew up. He always remained loyal to his birthplace, even to the extent of refusing offers of lucrative posts in other places, simply because to take them up would have meant leaving the area. Abergavenny - and in particular its Arts activities -was central to Leo's file, and indeed many of the town's Arts organisations owed their existence to his inspiration.

His association with the town's Library began early. At first he worked there on a voluntary basis, assisting Miss Horsfield, librarian at the time and it soon became obvious that, with his natural instinct for order and organisation, combined with his ardent love of books and his thirst for knowledge, he was ideally equipped for his chosen career. He obtained membership of the Library Association in 1935, and was appointed Assistant Librarian for Abergavenny in June, 1937. In 1938, the original Carnegie Library was taken over by the County Council, and Abergavenny Public Library became Montmouthshire's first Branch Library. Leo was appointed Branch Librarian in 1939. During this time he completely re-catalogued the library's holdings. In later years, it was said of him that not only did he know all the books in 'his' library, but that he also knew the contents of each and every one. Erudite, intellectual, a voracious reader, with a truly encyclopaedic knowledge, he could produce information on the most diverse topics, from details of the minor figures of the most abstruse byways of musical history, to stagecoach timetables in early nineteenth century Monmouthshire. During the war years, Leo was stationed in the Faroe Islands as a sergeant. in the army, -and after demobilisation, he returned to his post in Abergavenny, where he was to stay for the rest of his working life, being promoted to Deputy Regional Librarian for the Monmouth area in 1962. He retired in May 1979, some two months before his 65th birthday.

Music had always played an important part in Leo's life. As a youngster, he learnt the violin with his father, and in the 1930s both of them played together in the Abergavenny Orchestral Society. Many people will remember him in local orchestras in more recent years, playing the unusual-looking Charnot violin with the reversed scroll, which had been lent him by Dr Trevor Davies. It. is said that quite often in the orchestra having forgotten to turn the page, he would carry on playing, because he knew the part so well he could play it by heart. he had studied both the piano and the organ with local musician, W R Carr, and he was a founder member of the Gwent Bach Society, formed in 1951, and its official accompanist for over 40 years. In 1993, the Bach Society made him its Vice President, a post specially created in recognition of his exceptional services to the society. Opera was another consuming passion, and in the early years of Welsh National Opera, Leo would cycle all the way to Cardiff and back, in order to hear its performances. Later on, he organised the Abergavenny Concertgoers Society, so that reaching performance venues eventually became less arduous. Indeed, he was attending Concertgoers performances until a week before his death.

It was through the Gwent Bach Society that Leo met his future wife, Vera Davies of Gilwern. They were married in 1955. Vera shared his great love of the countryside, and after her death four years ago, it was their walks in the surrounding hillsides that he missed most of all. A devoted son, Leo had cared also for his invalid mother over many years.

Leo's outside interests touched every aspect of Arts life in Abergavenny. In the 1960s he was very much involved with the Three Arts Club, then the only group engaged in bringing five performers to Abergavenny. He was also, for twenty one years, the enthusiastic secretary of the Film Society bringing rare, vintage and foreign language films to the town's film buffs. He knew not only the story lines and the cast lists of all the films, but the details of script and dialogue as well. Recently, he had taken great pleasure in videoing all the good films shown on television, and he had a fine collection of classic films on video.

Leo always supported a wide range of charities, responding generously to any appeal made to him. In 1995, he was made a Companion of' the WWF, World Wide Fund for Nature.

It would hardly appear possible that any one person could be involved in so many activities, and yet there was also the writing in which he took so much pride and pleasure. He never failed to meet a deadline with his erudite programme notes, which were much appreciated both by concert promoters and then - audiences, such as, amongst others, the Llantilio Festival, Monmouth's important Merlin Music Society, the Gwent Bach Society and the Ahergavenny Orchestral Society. It Is much to be hoped that a collection of these, along with some of his concert reviews, might one day be brought together as a lasting and fitting memorial to his talents in this direction.

When we think of Leo, there is no doubt that the qualities for which he will be best remembered are his self-effacing humility, his wonderful intellect, his unexpectedly wry wit and his gentle smile. A long and recurring Illness had dogged Leo's last years, causing his spine to collapse, but in spite of what must have been extreme discomfort and difficulty in getting about, he continued to appear cheerful, enthusiastic and un-complaining. Without children themselves, Leo and Vera were fortunate in having the care and support of Kathy Symonds and her family for more than forty years.

This world does not contain many people like Leo. Abergavenny was fortunate in its son. Living all his life within fifty yards of the Monument in Frogmore Street, Leo was an Abergavenny man who brought untold benefit to the town. Great men like him are rare indeed; Leo would have been the very last person to assume that greatness was his; others know otherwise.

No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men. Thomas Carlisle