Happy Birthday, Dad

I’ve thought a lot about Dad today, and over the last couple of weeks.

We lost him in 1997. He was an amazing person who had faced and overcome some huge challenges in his life. He achieved so much.

He was a Staffordshire farmer’s son who decided to become a teacher. (Apparently, when he got home after school in the Sixth Form there was always his quota of cows to milk. The family weren’t sure about his planned change of direction.)

He went to the University of Nottingham - and became a Forest fan - before returning to teach in his old school, where he spent his whole career, finally retiring as a Deputy Head.

He was a great cricketer too, both locally and nationally. Captain of important Local teams and a member of the English Schools Cricket Association ( and he discovered and encouraged some important English capped cricketers.)

I’ve thought a lot about him over the last couple of weeks. 

He was captured in The Battle for Crete in 1940, and spent the Second World War as a prisoner right to the end. He hardly ever spoke about it but whenever he told my mother anything, she wrote it down.  

Such strength and courage. An inspiration. 

Happy Birthday, Dad xx