Dr. A. R. Flint.  OBE, FICE, BSc. PhD, FIStructE, FREng.

Bradfieldian Anthony Flint (H 38-41) died peacefully on the 23rd October 2024 having just reached his 100th birthday. He was the father of 2, grandfather of 4 and great-grandfather of 10, many of whom were able to be with him to celebrate this amazing milestone.

He was a remarkable man who has left behind a huge legacy of, not only structures and buildings that are a tribute to his engineering genius, but also memories of a man whose modesty, integrity, huge intelligence, work ethic, patience and family values are a fine example to all those who knew him.

He attended Bradfield College from 1938 to 1941, and he often shared the fond memories he had of his time there. Throughout his life he continued to take a great interest in the school’s activities and developments, and always greatly enjoyed the Bradfield magazine. He came to an old Bradfieldian luncheon in November 2009 with his wife and daughter. He delighted in happily reminiscing about his schooldays there, and loved exploring the buildings and grounds, many. of which were still as he remembered.

During his time at Bradfield he received Maths and Science prizes, and it was at Bradfield that he developed his love of cricket. He was a fine batsman and enjoyed playing for most of his life, but, when he could no longer do so, he always kept a very keen interest in the sport. He was a leading light in the Shakespeare Society and, through this experience, he would often use the language of the Bard in his own writing of addresses.

He was the author of many engineering books and papers. He wrote poems, often whilst on the train commuting to and from his office. He was also a wonderful watercolourist, a very accomplished pianist and a dedicated, creative and passionate gardener.

He always ensured he perfectly balanced his extremely demanding work with his family life and leisure activities. He believed that it was very important to have interests outside the office and career.

After leaving Bradfield he went on to study Aeronautical Engineering at Farnborough where he came under the tutelage of Sir Alfred Pugsley and followed him to Bristol University to study for his PhD. He later moved to Imperial College and was appointed as a Reader in the Department of Civil Engineering.

In 1956 he set up in private practice as a structural engineer. In 1958 he joined forces with Tony Neill and they started the practice of Flint & Neill (F&N) which went on to become one of the most well-known and respected engineering consultancies in the field of civil and structural engineering.

He was the recipient of many national and engineering awards, and received the OBE from Queen Elizabeth in 1974, along with the Gold Medal from the Institution of Structural Engineers, their highest honour, in 1988. His work included the much celebrated national icon and extraordinarily beautiful Baha’i Temple in New Delhi, India. He was in charge of the design of schools, university buildings, special structures and theatres, including the National Theatre, London.

He specialised in the assessment and design of strengthening of major bridges, and the Gold Medal was awarded to him for his innovative designs that were to double the capacity of the Severn Crossing in the 1980s, a highly complex engineering project that took around 17 years to complete. The bridge was virtually rebuilt from the inside, with traffic still on it, and was one of the most stunning and daunting engineering feats of the decade. The British Construction Industry Awards awarded Flint & Neill the first Supreme Award for this remarkable achievement.

One of his last assignments was investigating the well publised wobbles of the London Millenium Bridge and helping to find the solution.

The maxims he held in his professional life that he believed served him so well were:

• Grasp opportunities when they arise
• Make the most of patronage and repay those who place confidence in you
• Be prepared to tackle something beyond your experience
• Learn from failures

His colleagues at F&N affectionately referred to him as “the Wizard” and “The Man of Steel”….to many he was an inspiration, a mentor and a giant in his field of engineering.

He was recently very delighted to learn that one of his great-granddaughters is considering applying to Bradfield College for her senior school education!

Thank you to Caroline for her time in preparing this piece about her father.