On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

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time please
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On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by time please »

They were in the majority.
I'll start:

Gerald Davies. Being taught English by him was a bit strange, Shakespeare in a Welsh accent. But on the rugby pitch I loved every moment. He never said much but I remember that he told me one day that I could be good at rugby. Those few words coming from him picked me up.
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by jtaylor »

John Stilwell:
An amazing ‘cellist and ‘cello teacher, and conductor of the in der-appreciated orchestra.
Was a hard task-master, pushing me to practice, and inspiring me to achieve the best I could.
After I left, he continued to support me.
I have a huge amount to thank him for.

He didn’t like, and wasn’t likes by, the school drummers - too noisy, particularly before lunch parade when we were in the middle of string quartet practice!
One of his: “What do you call someone who hangs around with musicians??.......... A drummer.”
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by jtaylor »

Sean Mason: An excellent physics teacher, who could explain complex subject-matter simply, and who was honest enough to say when he didn’t know something, and made me realise that the best teachers are confident enough in their own abilities to acknowledge they don’t know everything about their subject. I was (pretentiously!) starting to read about quantum physics, and would on occasion discuss with him after a lesson. He was interested, knew a lot, but was ready to say it was early in mainstream understand, and really difficult.
It was him that inspired to continue in Sciences, doing Engineering at Uni. A great empathetic and capable teacher!
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by yamaha »

Definitely in the minority when I was there and generally reserved by Seaman for those with good prospects of entering Oxbridge.
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by richardb »

time please wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:43 am They were in the majority.
I'll start:

Gerald Davies. Being taught English by him was a bit strange, Shakespeare in a Welsh accent. But on the rugby pitch I loved every moment. He never said much but I remember that he told me one day that I could be good at rugby. Those few words coming from him picked me up.
Dylan Thomas was priceless when he taught it. He wrung every bit of expression out of it.
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by Mid A 15 »

time please wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:43 am They were in the majority.
I'll start:

Gerald Davies. Being taught English by him was a bit strange, Shakespeare in a Welsh accent. But on the rugby pitch I loved every moment. He never said much but I remember that he told me one day that I could be good at rugby. Those few words coming from him picked me up.
Completely agree re Gerald. I had a similar experience.

In the modern world, nearly 50 years later, a rugby player of his status would be lauded as a celebrity yet he was the most modest and pleasant man you could hope to meet and always had a word of encouragement which was by no means typical of teachers at CH in the early seventies.
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by richardb »

Used to love him being away on rugby as his wife stood in for him. A stunner.
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by BTaylor »

David Elliot - the best band Master the school has ever known
David Clements - the best right-hand man to David Elliot
Terry Clark - scary, but LAMDA trained and really knew his stuff.

I was never really one for the academic subjects...
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by jtaylor »

I had an awful lot of respect for David Elliot - he had a great sense of justice and fair play, and although I was never in the band or taught directly by him, he knew me and was always quick with a kind positive word, good sincere eye contact, and a great band master from what I could see.
I recall his sense of justice, when I’d intervened with a bully who was giving a hard time to a younger lad. I’d stopped him and put him on the floor to stop him hurting the kid, just as David came out of the music school. When he then heard what had happened, he simply said something like “about time” and left it. Probably not strictly right, but he quickly judged what had happened.
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CHAZ
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by CHAZ »

There is already a posting called Favourite Teachers on this Forum and so maybe this new thread is doubling up what has been said unless and being pedantic there is a difference between a good teacher and favourite one :P
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by CodFlabAndMuck »

BTaylor wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:42 pm David Elliot - the best band Master the school has ever known
David Clements - the best right-hand man to David Elliot
Terry Clark - scary, but LAMDA trained and really knew his stuff.

I was never really one for the academic subjects...
Couldnt agree more.
I bumped into Dave Clements at Liverpool St station at the beginning of May.
He was on his way home from Rhodes.
He hasnt changed a bit even in appearance from the 80s.
As it happened I was on my way to an orchestra so had my instrument with me.
Hes 86 and still very sprightly but hasnt smoked a pipe since shortly after retiring.
Still playing with a band in Lowestoft.
The chance encounter reminded me of how nice some of our teachers were, and the non academic ones tended to treat you more like grown ups
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by barnemj »

Bomber Nicholson - great man / God
Tony Waller - Maine B housemaster - gave me fabulous support plus got me through maths o level in later times - I have respected him for my whole life.
Chris Vincent-Smith - Lamb A housemaster - wonderful man.
John Penny - I was no good at art but often sought refuge - he was a wonderful teacher and understood all our problems.
Tim Kirkup - laid back and a good listener - did not teach me but was a master in a difficult house.
Beaky Eagle and Dick Dawe - wonderful / inspirational teachers.
John Stilwell - taught me (for a short while) the cello - taught me the construction of music.
Nick Plumley - Maine B - a massive influence on musical understanding.
Duncan Noel-Paton - massive influence re music and arts ( theatre) - has been a huge force I understand re many old blues in their careers
There were many others - all had a immense influence. I am so sad that the recent revelations have come to light especially as I , apart from some seemingly minor issues, loved being at CH.
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by CodFlabAndMuck »

I remember Bomber Nich distributing the entrance exam papers at the Royal College of Surgeons and as a 10 year old being hugely in awe of his very smart appearance in a suit, brilled hair and I remember his very warm smile.
I remember a lesson about Wagner
He often went on pilgramages to Biarritz for Das Ring des Niebulengen
Hugely charismatic and intellectual like many others
Im glad to see a sense of perspective on history
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by CodFlabAndMuck »

Beyruth, apologies, wrong spelling but you know where i mean
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Re: On a happier note: The Good Teachers!

Post by blueeyedboy »

Nick Plumley. Late summer term 1973 post exam lesson in Prep Library. Sun streaming through windows; I've just been promoted to 2A. Plumley goes round the class asking each of us what we want to be. Me, no idea, say an engineer. Plumley: Interesting, I think you could go to Trinity Hall to read Law. I didn't quite (in fact Pembroke and Arch and Anth) but the fact that someone thought I could go to university, let alone Cambridge, when none of my family had was such a bolt from the blue I can still remember it. And I suspect always will.
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