Teacher & Staff Index

Fred

Neville  Became head of Art in 1974

Elizabeth (Liz)

Richard.  He was new to the school in 67/8.  He used to invite A-level students to his home for revision.  Left to be head of science in Daventry in 1970.  There was a Richard Austin in the 5th year in 1959 so he might have been a former pupil.

David (Doughy)

Harry On the school trip to the Lake District in 1957, at a Roman fort on Hadrians wall came up with the phrase "Let's go over to the bakehouse and loaf".

Ernest  (Egg or Bimbo)

Richard.  He had had a fairly rotten time as a Japanese prisoner of war. Sadly and rather guiltily I don't think we treated him a lot better than the Japs.  (Ned)

John (preceded D Baker)

Kathy

Philippa (Pip)

Bernard

John    (Twitch)

Kathleen (Kathy)

Jack (Satch)

Nickname "Goodly portion" a favourite expression of his

Andrew

(Crutch or Plank)  He once produced a small ingot of Uranium metal from a tobacco tin that several of us handled.  Astonishingly dense and heavy.  It did not actually glow and probably was only very slightly radioactive, but somehow I can't imagine that happening today.  Retired 1969

Steve Rapitt adds:  Being a Doctor he had a red gown with ermine trimmings and would stand out in assembly amongst all the other masters wearing black gowns. He did take me for maths but the highlight was the last lesson of the term (particularly if it was  a double period) when he would try to teach the class some culture. He would bring a portable record player and describe and play an orchestral piece by a well-known composer. However it was not only music but also art (including a nude study) that he tried to educate us with. 

Left in 1966

(Nobby)  Laurence      Died 5th February 2013 aged 93

The school at that time corresponded with a ship, the letters being sent via Miss Clegg (or Elsie as she was known) to the captain of the ship. I heard after I had left that she finished up marrying him !!  Judith Hopper says I was in Harry Hartwell's form ( I think in my 3rd year) and Miss Clegg's form room was next door. She used to breeze in to see Harry Hartwell - both dressed in their black gowns - and we all thought he was rather smitten as he used to go a bit hot under the collar each time she leaned over his desk!!  As you can imagine a class of 30plus 13/14year old girls gave him rather a hard time over these little scenes!!   Left in 1959

“Spike”  Retired in 1966.  Steve Rappitt says: Being a Yorkshireman he often lapsed into stories of his young life and cycling ‘the 12 mile from Bratford t’ Leeds University in General Strike of 1926’

Heather  - former pupil

He notably fathered triplets; (unusual in pre fertility treatment days) and I recall one of the girls formally presenting him with three dolls on the playing fields during a staff/school rugger match to mark the event.   He is also the father of Michael Crick who is a presenter on Channel 4 and former presenter on BBC Newsnight

Marjorie

She married and became Mrs J Abram (above)

Geoff

Janet

John

Joan

Jane

Pete

Graham

Joan  Became head of Commerce in 1974   (Polly)

Arthur Gordon    (Jug)

Ian  Played for the Saints at that time

Ivan de Carle  Became head of Mathematics in 1974  (Jimmy)

Gary  (Garrod)      [Dad]

Diane  (previously had been Mrs D Smith)    Died Jan 2007

Stan   Became head of Science and Maths in 1974.  Nickname "Sooty" because of the two tufts of black hair on each side of his bald head.   Steve Rappitt says:  Stan’s favourite form of punishment after a wrong answer or misdemeanour was several pats on the head with the board rubber (chalk boards in those days).

Elizabeth (Liz)

Ex-pupil and head girl

Julie

“Pip”  Was deputy Head from 1968/72, but had to retire due to ill health.  Died in late 1972

Henry  (Harry)

Leonard (Len)

Married Mr R Austin

Colin  (Charley)

Daniele  (formerly known as Mlle Danielle Setphan, but married Mr Len Hill

Len  Left to be head of French at Bective in 1970 (Benny)

Tim

Arrived in 1959 and died in 1965

Irene  Retired in 1971

Derek   "Pop"

(Buzzer)  Bernard Scott.  [Jean Robertson believes that he got the nickname "Buzzer" because he used to stand under the buzzer in the mornings as we all arrived in the corridor of the old building in George's Avenue, watching everyone enter the school.]

Ben

Raeburn Russell.  He was quite a religious Welshman who reprimanded a boy in class for using the oath ‘blimey’ - Steve Rappitt.  Loved mathematics and was hugely disappointed when telling us how a single greenfly could have thousands of progeny over a season did not excite a response.   A muscle in his cheek would twitch when upset.  Sadly he died of cancer in c. 1965.  - Karen Buckley

Michael Peter  (Doug)  Head of Geography from 1974

Rita (formerly Miss Proud, married an ex-sixth former)

Jack  Also taught leatherwork and metalwork

Hamish

Late 60's

June 

Later taught at Cliftonville Secondary School alongside former pupil Dudley Jewell

He always wore a white coat with holes in, caused by acid splashes, it was known as 'Meadow's lace'. - Karen Buckley

Stephen

Ian (Jock).  Known as Hamish in earlier years.

Got married in 1955 and became Mrs Norton & left soon after

Heather?

Ruth

Ian

Taffy (or Taffy Kniowall).  His niece was the first wife of actor Richard Burton. _ Karen Buckley

(Tad)   Many people remember Tad as a good teacher.  He was also a good cricketer who encouraged many of us to play at club level...and organised the school tour each year.  A group of us from school would often see Tad in The Romany pub on a Sunday night. We’d be there whenever Horace M Smith (a very good, very funny and very entertaining jazz band led by a musician called John Percival) were playing. I recall that we even got a drink out of him on one occasion. Tad is an accomplished Trombone player and has (or certainly had) his own local jazz band. 

Bernard.   Who was far too nice a bloke and we played him up something rotten

Les.  He was a former pupil and is on the 1958 school photo on section 4  (4 U 5).  He is now retired and still lives in the area.

(Nogger)  He left shortly after the 1958 photo was taken.  He became head of maths at All Hallows School, Manchester and later Deputy Head of St Cuthbert's, Bolton.  He died in 2003, exactly on his 84th birthday.  Left in 1959

Gillian

Margaret 

One of her famous one liners was "watch the board girls, while I run through it" which of course caused us great hilarity.

Judy

Anne

(Sid)

John

Ken

Rita  Left in 1972 to go to Weston Favell Upper School

French mistress from French Algeria, the sex interest of most of the male pupils (lets face it there wasn't much competition)  Left in 1959  (Spelling probably Reignier)

Nickname Debbie after the film actress - Metalwork

Unfortunate Mr Roe (nicknamed Andy) came from the Grammar School where he had a reputation of being unable to keep order in class. Unfortunately for him many of us had friends at the grammar school and knew of his weakness, consequently the rebels in class tested him out. Class disorder became so bad on one day that Stan Guffog burst in asking ‘What the hell is going on’.  Stan resumed taking our chemistry lessons and we did not see Andy again. - Steve Rappitt

Dennis   (Former Pupil)   Head of Physics from 1974

Judith Hopper says:  Miss Rudling was quite a petite lady who taught games and had short, thick, flaming red hair. She was also quite religious and led bible study classes at her home. All us girls who didn't like athletics would agree before the start of a run to go at the same pace and cross the line together. Unfortunately, Miss Rudling cottoned on to this one and punished us by making the whole group run round the track for the rest of the double period.  Miss Rudling also used to organise a Staff v School Hockey Match on the last day of term before the summer holidays started. Many of the staff used to play in fancy dress.  Steve Rappitt says:  taught us English in early years. She used to come to English lesson either preparing for, or after girls hockey lesson complete with short skirt! She was petite (and very fiery) but had admirable thighs!

 Frank

Andrew  (is still working at Unity College)

John

Edward or Edwin

Barry

Arrived 1959

David   (Des)

John

She started in 1960, replacing Miss Rudling.  I remember Miss Rudling dislocated her elbow in a staff/pupil (1st XI girls) hockey match after being bumped into by Val Rhodes.  The match was never played again the staff said it was too dangerous!!!

Arrived 1959

Howard

Senior Mistress.  Judith Hopper says:  Mrs Taylor was my favourite teacher in all my years at Trinity. She taught commerce in Room 15, the penthouse at the top of The Tower. The Commerce Room was well known for the sound of a record Mrs Taylor played which we had to type in time to - everyone passing the room used to comment on hearing the ringing of a typewriter bell and the words "carriage return" when we typed to within the last 6 characters of a line. She was a very strict but fair teacher and set out to teach all her pupils the rudiments of office etiquette in the late 1950s/early 1960s.   Each day we would have an inspection of finger nails and lectures on how young ladies would not dream of going to work in an office in trousers, no stockings etc. and we were always told to be prepared on our first day at work and to take our own pencils and shorthand notebooks with us.  I remember my first day at work at Express Lifts when I was shown to my typewriter - I was horrified at the thing in front of me.  Trinity was a brand new school the year I started and all our office equipment was very up to date - electric Golfball typewriters if you please!!! I, very naively, expected to be provided with the same type of equipment when I started work and instead got an old Royal manual typewriter. Even when we had new typewriters at "Express" we still had manual models - Imperial 66!!.  Not up to the standard of Trinity I'm afraid.

She left in early '73 to have her first child - but invited her 6th form maths class to her home for one morning a week for lessons around her dining table.  Apparently the school wouldn't allow such a heavily pregrant woman to work on the premises.

Len  (Tiger, later changed to Tigger)  Deputy Head from 1972 - 1988

Percy  Deputy Head from 1946 to 1956

Beatrice

Lucille

Mary

John

Taught from 1964 - 67

Frank (Gunner)  Deputy Head from 1956 - 1968