My friend Jeremy Cameron, who has died suddenly aged 76, during a holiday watching cricket in Grenada and Trinidad, was a former probation officer, an author, a tennis aficionado, cross-continental walker, socialist and vegetarian. His tennis maxim – “keep fit and get the ball back once more than your opponent” – underpinned his approach more generally.
Jeremy started his working life in the 1970s helping homeless young people in Manchester and emotionally damaged children in Norwich. After qualifying as a probation officer at Brunel University in 1981, he started work in Walthamstow in east London. He was a fearless and inspirational officer, and active in the NAPO trade union, where his AGM speeches were lauded for their passion and wit. In 1995, he became a national rep in disciplinary proceedings and continued this work even after resigning from the Probation Service in 2002.
