Dr Peter Vallow

With a younger sister, he was the son of Mr Percy Vallow, a Bingley dentist, and went to Bingley Grammar School, where he was ready to sit his school certificate earlier than he was allowed to. After that, he was sent on an exchange to a school in Auxerre, Burgundy country, for three months.

He became fluent in French, made a pen friend of the son of the family he was staying with, remaining in touch until his friend’s death, and ever afterwards had a great affection for France.

From Bingley Grammar School, he went to Leeds University to study medicine. A fellow medical student was Miss Rachel Taylor, and the two were married in 1952.

Dr Peter Vallow went from Leeds into the RAF to do his National Service, and then went into a practice in the Hull area.

In 1956, he and his wife set up their joint practice in Todmorden which they gave up when Dr Rachel Vallow, now with three children, retired. Dr Peter Vallow joined a group practice in Heckmondwike and the family settled in Cleckheaton.

He retired in April 1991, never having allowed a computer into his surgery. Years later he met a former patient who delighted him with a complaint that doctors spent more time “looking at a TV screen” during a consultation than at the patient.

In Todmorden, Dr Vallow had joined Round Table, and after his retirement was involved with Probus in Cleckheaton. He was a member of the Dewsbury French Circle, and he loved to travel in France and Italy, having learnt Italian at night school.

He enjoyed writing, and belonged to a Batley writing group.

Dr Vallow is survived by his wife and their children Isabel, Stephen and Michael.