A TRIBUTE
The death earlier in February of Jeremy Mallinson OBE, DSc, CBiol, FIBiol, FRGS, the retired and much respected director of Jersey Zoo and friend of the late Gerald Durrell, was sad news for his many friends in Jersey and around the world, the zoological and conservation community, and not least for RURAL magazine.
His obituaries have been written – and for those who perhaps are reading this ‘abroad’ and so missed the news or were unacquainted with him, may we recommend the Daily Telegraph obituary, which can be read at www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/02/12/jeremy-mallinson-former-director-jersey-zoo-friend-gerald-durrell/
The very least of his many achievements was to feature as the picture on the cover of the Autumn 2020 issue of RURAL magazine. This was in connection with the publication of a new and updated edition of his book: ‘Les Minquiers – Jersey’s Southern Outpost’.
The article needed research – and what better way to conduct this than to make an excursion to Les Minquiers to do the ‘research’ and to take pictures for the magazine of Jeremy on Maîtresse Ile.
It was one of the hottest days of the year and the expeditionary force consisted of Jeremy, his son, Julian, who provided and captained the RIB transport, Julian’s partner, Natalie, the magazine’s photographer, Gary Grimshaw and myself. Much of the research consisted of a picnic outside Julian’s hut on Maîtresse Ile, a long and enjoyable conservation with Jeremy and an extended paddle in the warm and shallow waters off the slipway. On the way back to Jersey, dolphins played in the sea near the RIB.
In a year in which there seemed to be unremitting bad news, that day last August stands out as a most notable exception: a warm, cheerful and hugely enjoyable day out, which I shall long remember.
For anyone who not yet discovered our ‘Past Issues’ section on the RURAL website, the article on Jeremy and the Minquiers can be read by clicking on that heading and scrolling down to ‘Issue 32’, or by following this link: issuu.com/ruraljersey/docs/rural_jersey_autumn_2020.
I shall also long remember Jeremy: always courteous, always a pleasure to meet, always with interesting conversation and definitely a force for good in the sphere of conservation of the animal kingdom. To his family, RURAL magazine extends its sympathy – Alasdair Crosby, editor RURAL magazine
2 Responses
I miss my very close friend of 61 years so much – and love your tribute to him. He was our best man at our wedding in 1963 . A truly inspirational man who taught so many so much. RIP Pongo.
I was saddened to hear of Jeremy’s passing in February. Having met him during a British Conservation Corps expedition at the Jersey Zoo in March 1973, I returned later in the summer as au pair to a then very young Julian and Sophie. A delightful period in my life and Jeremy, Odette and I remained in contact each year via Chrisatmas cards. I also caught up with him briefly when he visited Melbourne in the early 1980’s. He was quite an extraordinary and altogether lovely gentleman who I will remember, along with his family, very fondly. Robyn Elliott