Athletics 62

SENIOR COMMON ROOM

This year we have welcomed a number of temporary colleagues to the S.C.R. as well as two permanent ones. James Bellis joined us as K. G. C.'s replacement and has quickly involved himself in the Geographical and sporting sides of the School, while Chris Blood has continued Bill Riley's excellent work in the music department in general and with the windband in particular. Bill's decision to retire at the very end of last year left a gap that has not been easy to fill — we all wish him and Margrit all the very best in retirement.

Retirement too, also after ill health, for John Brown whose many contributions to the School are recorded elsewhere in this magazine, but whom we will remember most as a witty, caring colleague and drinking companion with a fund of risque (ok, admit it John, just plain dirty) stories. This year we have also lost Andy Ison (a man who would always call a spade a manure spreader) and Jed Boardman whose loss to the Physics department will be almost as great as to School squash but as nothing as compared to the loss of local hostel ries.

John and Andy's mid-year departures created the need for temporary staff and we have been particularly lucky in finding two such able stand-ins as Maria Keki and Robert Clark, colleagues whose company we will certainly miss next year. Leaving us too, after two terms as an assistant in Maths and games both with us and St. Olave's, is Steve Mulligan whose teaching ambitions we hope we haven't entirely undermined. A final farewell to Jo Craig who helped cover Richard Drysdale's History lessons in the Summer Term.

Richard swanned off on sabbatical to Italy for several months, leaving the School with its first (albeit temporary) Housemistress (well at least we got a woman ministering in a Temple before the Church of England did). This was the second cause for congratulation to Wendy, for earlier in the year she remarried and became Mrs. Newton (though, as the House found, we weren't so much losing a Shepherd as gaining in gravity). Also sharing our good wishes were Matthew and Claire Grant on the happy event of the birth of their daughter, Lauren, and, in much more tragic circumstances, Steve Cranville (Head of Economics 1980-87) whose wife Denise died earlier this year.

This year staff have spent their spare time in rowing ("there's a hole in our four, dear Arthur, dear Arthur"); playing squash, football and cricket ("run Robert, run Robert, run run run"); singing, acting and lighting; reading poetry; walking and many other activities. Most symbolically the S.C.R. bought itself a croquet set, thus ensuring that we keep jumping (or at least rolling) through hoops for many years to come.

R. H. Hubbard, I. M. K. Lowe BILL RILEY

In July last year, Bill Riley retired. His teaching at St. Peter's extended over twenty years and was sadly brought to an end by illness which threatened to disable him. His fight against this tragedy was an inspiration to all who visited him either in hospital or at home and it is good to see him regaining mobility.

Before becoming a full-time member of the teaching staff in 1973, Bill had combined part-time work with his impending retirement from the army where he had a distinguished career as Band Master. His instincts for military precision must have taken many a jolt from the less formal disciplines of School life but we enjoyed his reminiscences of an army life which had taken him to many parts of the globe. He had a story for every occasion and enlivened moments in band practices with reminders of what it was like to be shot at while you played!

Bill's contribution to the life of the School came both through his rapport with his individual pupils and the team spirit which he fostered with the Band. He helped me create from the minimum of material the structure of the Band which we all enjoy today.

When Bill first joined us I wrote in the "Peterite" of January 1971 — "Thanks to the appointment of Mr. W. Riley the Wind Band is now making rapid progress. Mr. Riley's experience as a Band Master is of great value and the players have responded to his gentle persuasion". Twenty years later and I would not change a word. Thank you, Bill.

K. R. Pemberton

ANDREW ISON

Andrew joined the staff of St. Peter's in September 1987 as Head of Economics. He also introduced Business Studies into the School successfully. In the classroom both able and less able pupils responded warmly to his teaching and in his five years at the School he produced some firstclass A-Level results.

Outside the classroom he played a very prominent role as P.O. Ison(!) in the R.A.F. section of the C.C.F. In addition, his enthusiasm for soccer and Derby County will be fondly remembered by pupils and staff alike. He wasnever happier than when playing five-a-side football for the staff against the boys on Wednesday lunchtimes. He was also a tutor in The Rise and was involved in several ski-trips.

Andrew was by no means a typical teacher, and at times did not sit comfortably within the conventions of life at St. Peter's. He was a one-off character, and every School needs its one-offs. His performances on the Burton Stone Karioke were inspirational; we wish him well at his new School in Farnborough.

John joined the Staff in 1954, having graduated from Leeds and spent a further year at Liverpool gaining his A.T.D. His initial responsibility was the Art Teaching in St. Olave's together with some Vlth Form work. For more than ten years he was Assistant Housemaster in Alcuin, then a Junior School Boarding House, later becoming its Housemaster. He ran the Cub Pack, helped at Scout camps and for well over twenty years was an invaluable member of the St. Olave's French Trips. Not a few of his paintings grace Breton homes and helped to forge strong links with local folk.

When John Gaastra retired, John took over as Head of Department where his own many gifts were mirrored in his successful results. His view that Art was more than just a subject to be taught, his enthusiastic support for and awakening of new talent, coupled with his insistence that only hard work and keen observation would really allow it fully to blossom all combined to make him a good Schoolmaster.

Outside the classroom he was to be seen towering over Olavite Rugby or Cricket games and, latterly, adding a certain originality, or was it eccentricity, to the world of Hockey where "Brown's Hockey" was a regular feature.

His talents were not only recognised locally. He was the first Artist to appear on Channel Four, giving a ten week series on sculpture — a facet of his subject at which he excelled and which he did much to encourage and develop within the School. Eclectic in his interests and skills, as witness his work as a silversmith, which is to be found in York Minster and Ripon Cathedral, he was also called on to design and make the St. William's Cross which is awarded by the Dean and Chapter to mark great and historic contributions by individuals and organisations to the Minster. Its first recipient was Cardinal Suenans, the first Cardinal to have preached in the Minster since the Reformation. One need look no further than the Chapel Cross to find yet another example of the different materials in which John works. How many retirements have been marked by one of his works, either a formal painting or a witty compilation of watercolour sketches marking facets of a colleague's career? How many of the children sculpted? How many magical transformations of the Stage?

John is a gentlemanly and courageous man whose pawky sense of humour seldom deserts him when told: after a particularly sunny holiday that he was 'looking very brown', replied, "I'm Brown right through, Sir". Nor is he averse to directing his wit against himself. Having been ribbed by an earnest colleague as to certain individualistic spellings on one of his reports, he replied, straightfaced, "Oh, by the way, how many 'b's' in clumsy?".

We hope his retirement will be long and increasingly healthy. Both he and his bow ties will be greatly missed and we trust that he will not entirely neglect us. Peter Johnston

JEREMY BOARDMAN

'Jed' Boardman joined the School in September 1989 after gaining a Distinction in both theory and practice on his P.G.C.E. Prior to that he had worked as a policeman for the West Yorkshire Constabulary, after graduating from Hull University, where he was President of the Squash Club and first string for the University.

The hallmarks of Jed's contribution to St. Peter's were dedication, enthusiasm and a great joie de vivre. His main role was as a committed and dynamic teacher of Physics, but he also gave unstintingly of his time and expertise as a squash coach. Inheriting a young and inexperienced squad when he arrived here, he instantly motivated them and gradually moulded them into an efficient unit; and players throughout the School benefited from his encouragement and coaching. He was also a popular tutor in The Manor, and excellent company in the Senior Common Room. We wish him every success in his new job as Head of Physics at Fulneck School, and will miss his commitment, positive attitude and sense of fun.