Bunty Saunders
1921 – 2008
Bunty was born in York in 1921, an army child and was despatched to boarding
school at an early age. She showed an independence of character from the start,
giving up needlework to take up carpentry. She and her brother Alan tested their
position as children of the CO at Chichester Barracks to the limit. On one occasion
she was locked n the Guard House by the RSM for riding her pony across the
‘posh grass’.
The family moved to Fontwell when her father
retired. He became Colonel of the Royal Sussex
Regiment but sadly died of cancer in 1942. He was
given a full military funeral through the streets of
Chichester and ashes were interred in the
Cathedral. Bunty was very proud of her military
heritage and all her horses boasted horse rugs in
regimental colours.
At 18. as war began Bunty joined up with the
FANY’S and then moved to the ATS as an army
driver. Her strong character revealed itself on more
than one occasion. She struggled with authority
and was demoted twice. After the war she returned
to Fontwell and before long her love of horses led
her, with her friend Chris, to revive the local Pony Club It was through Chris and
the horse connection that she met Tony and they were married in St Mary’s
Church in 1948. Some feared that a marriage of two red heads would not survive.
In fact it lasted 59 years. The lived in Bahrain for a period before returning to
Fontwell. Years of horses and chickens (5,000 at one point) followed. She took
her three children far and wide to Gymkhanas and Shows generally with four or
five ponies in an old army truck converted into a horse box.
Another great love was skiing. She skied until she was 83 and only gave it up
because she could no longer see where she was going! She was an inveterate
‘recycler’, long before it was fashionable, a great doer and as such was not into
fashion, though when needs must did what was required when ‘on parade ‘ as she
put it.
Bunty was strong willed, spoke her mind and had incredible energy. She was
highly organised and clearly was never happier than when surrounded by family.
Feb 2008