Christopher Juckes (known as Chrix), son of Richard Juckes (College staff 1925-49 and Cheltondale Housemaster 1934-49), brother of David Juckes (BH, 1950), Tom Juckes (BH, 1951), Peter Juckes (BH, 1954) and Frank Juckes (BH, 1963), father of Ben Juckes (NH, 1991), and uncle of John Juckes (Cheltondale, 1978), Kit Juckes (Cheltondale, 1980), Tess Juckes (Ch, 1986) and Tim Juckes (NH, 1993), passed away on 28 February 2025, aged 86. The following tribute has been written by Chrix’s son, Ben.

Chrix was born on 21 April 1938 at Aston-on-Clun in Shropshire, the home of his maternal grandparents. He was the fourth of five Juckes boys to Dick and Dolly Juckes. The family has a strong connection with College, where Dick was Housemaster of Cheltondale, which was likely due (in part) to Dolly’s sister being married to the then Headmaster, Henry Hardy. Dick retired from school-mastering in 1949 and the family moved from Cheltenham to the village of Tredington near Tewkesbury, where Dick farmed with his brother.

Chrix, along with his four brothers, attended both the Junior School and Senior School. Chrix does not come across as the most academic of pupils, being more interested in the countryside and animals.

When it came to the beginning of the school term and boarding, Chrix did not want to leave his animals. He was persuaded back to school with the promise that he could take his donkey, riding the eight miles or so from Tredington to Cheltenham, the donkey spending the rest of term grazing around the school playing fields! At away sports matches, Chrix was known at times to take one of his racing pigeons on the bus and try to fly the results of the match back to school ahead of the returning team.

On leaving Cheltenham College, Chrix went to Cirencester Agricultural College before turning his hand to the business of farming. Chrix’s farming career started with building a piggery on his uncle’s farm, which was featured in Farmer’s Weekly at the time. He then moved on to milking cows and building up a dairy herd at Tredington.

It was at the wedding of his younger brother Frank that Chrix met Jenny Cuss – it was love at first sight and Chrix and Jenny married at Christchurch in Cheltenham in 1971.

My first memories of my father are of a friendly giant, with the strength of ten men and hands like shovels. Always striding around the farm with great purpose and a bale of hay, a calf or a child on his shoulders!

Family holidays were great fun, more often than not in Pembrokeshire, where the sun always seemed to shine. At the beach, with other fathers struggling with children’s buckets and spades, Chrix would arrive armed with the farm shovel and proceed to construct the largest sandcastles and sea defences, soon involving all the other children on the beach.

Always looking to progress the farm, in the late 1970s Chrix moved the family, now including children Ben and Helen, from Tredington to Ash Farm House, Great Wolford in the Cotswolds. Chrix worked morning, noon and night to transform the farm and dairy. Alongside work and family, he enjoyed hunting to hounds and was chairman of the local NFU. There was also space for wildlife, with appearances by Chrix on the local TV, winning various conservation awards.

After 25 years milking cows, there came an opportunity to move to the Welsh Marches and a gentler pace of life. Firstly, at Llancillo, Pandy and then The Old Rectory, Ewyas Harold, where Chrix and Jenny lived for the last 30+ years, working on the house and garden to make it a lovely home for family, friends and their B&B guests. Many of the guests returned year after year to enjoy the hospitality, plus Chrix’s cooked breakfasts and evening drinks.

Chrix and Jenny busied themselves with village life. Alongside garden parties and supper parties raising funds for the church, they enjoyed reels club, gardening club, croquet and latterly bridge, to name but a few. Chrix always enjoyed the ‘taking part’ and the company of others, especially if there was an opportunity for some leg-pulling.

Chrix had a wonderful sense of humour and wit, which remained with him to the last. He loved the company of family and a wide circle of friends. I will always remember him as someone who was totally happy, confident and comfortable within himself. He had a great drive and love of life and a huge love for his fellow man.