John Leonard Bate - Poet

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John Leonard Bate, (1919 -2015) a poet and the eldest of four, was born into a comfortably off, loving family in London in December 1919. On leaving school he joined the local library service in Birmingham, but soon war came and John, a conscientious objector, was called up and served in bomb disposal and administration. There his poetry writing developed, some being published in the Oasis anthologies, which he helped to produce. Whilst in the army he met many likeminded poets and writers, several becoming lifelong friends. Poetry also led to his engagement and marriage to Peggie, with whom he had twelve children.

A University degree and teaching qualification gained in the early 1960s eventually led to a fulfilling career in Edinburgh's Napier College, now University, where he was initially Head Librarian and then Head of Information Technology as the needs of the college grew. John was later awarded an MBE for his work at Napier. John wrote poetry throughout this time, juggling the demands of work and family. His first collection, Damaged Beauty Needs a New Design, was published in 1981. During his long retirement John continued to write and a collection of this later work has been published in a volume entitled He Picked up his pen to write.. in 2018.

During the early 1980s John and fellow poet Tessa Ransford became good friends and John gave Tessa support and encouragement in her successful attempt to establish a Scottish Poetry Library. The library is now housed in a specially designed building in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and contains many of John’s poems.

References

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