Obituary by Bob Macvie

Reverend Canon David Capron died on 21st September 2023 aged 77 years. Born in Somerset, David was always proud of his West Country roots but at an early age his family moved to Leamington Spa. David was educated at the prestigious Rugby School where he excelled more at playing rugby than he did academically.

It was beer that really brought us together over 40 years ago. My wife, Fiona, and I were still newlyweds in Shottery when Rev. Capron from St. Andrew’s Church paid us a clerical visit. Within minutes David’s eye had latched onto the fact that a copy of What’s Brewing lay open on the table. “Do you like Real Ale?” David asked me, “Well so do I,” and from that moment a deep and lasting friendship was born and the seeds of a new CAMRA branch were sown.

As we became regular worshippers at St. Andrew’s, so David and I spent more evenings drinking real ale at The Bell in Shottery (Flowers Original Bitter) or at The Froth and Elbow Bar at The Shakespeare Hotel, in Stratford-on-Avon, where they served the delectable Donnington beers or at The Crown in Haselor where wonderful Samuel Smiths beers came straight from the barrel. Within a few months inaugural meetings were held to form a local branch of CAMRA which was duly named The Shakespeare Branch and geographical boundaries were agreed upon. A committee was formed and at the first official meeting at The Bell, a raffle organised by David brought in the grand sum of £5.60. The Chairman, Alan Whitbread, concluded the meeting by giving a warm vote of thanks to David for the “great efforts he had made to bring this branch of CAMRA to fruition, for without his enthusiasm and hard work we should not have reached our present position.”

For three years David and his young family uprooted to the north east, to serve the people of the industrial new town of Newton Aycliffe. On a visit to see them I remember a good evening in The Locomotion pub and was not surprised how well David got on with the locals – he could talk with anyone, whatever background they came from, whatever age, whatever their interests. David was literally “a man of the people” all his life and endeared himself to others because he cared about them – a true priest. He had a warm heart and a larger-than-life personality and was never afraid to share his views on the church, politics or the pint he was drinking.

But the lure of Warwickshire brought him back to the rural town of Alcester where he became the rector of St. Nicholas Church. He was priest there for 22 years and known and recognised by many of the townsfolk for his approachability, kindness, and love of a real ale as a CAMRA member. He was dedicated to serving as chaplain to both the Royal British Legion and local fire service, especially following the tragic fire in 2007 when local firefighters lost their lives. He was also a keen railway enthusiast, loving steam trains and models alike. During his retirement David loved working on the GWR (Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway) to ‘meet and greet’ people on the platform and on the trains. After work David loved a drop or two of Rail Ale brewed by Donnington before getting a lift home.

In the last few years of his life David introduced Pilgrimage Evenings for folk from St. Andrew’s to visit an historical local church and afterwards to enjoy a meal and fellowship at a nearby hostelry. David was in his element – church and beer together!

How thrilled David was when the now thriving Shakespeare Branch organised its first Beer Festival at the Racecourse in Stratford and in 2022 when St. Andrew’s Church held a community beer festival which he was invited to open.