We really loved this guy and he rarely lost his temper with us. He didnt want any trouble probably because he only got the job because his father was an ex-headmaster of the school, in fact when we went comprehensive I think the truth came out, he didnt have any qualifications, and he didnt last long there.
We would get through his lessons somehow, listening to is war stories and if we were particularly reluctant to do any learning we would ask him to read us some of his Biggles stories, he always had one of the copies of this war-time childrens book in his briefcase. He would love to relate the stories
Out of the sun came captain Biggles diving straight for the Hun in a murderous rage..
Alike the rest of our teaching staff he would drift off into his own little world while we just pratted about or went to sleep for the rest of the lesson.
Clive relates the story of his maritime invention, building a concrete boat in his back garden at home, it must have weighed over 20 tons. I wasnt among the helpers, who went up to his house to help him launch the boar in Scalby Mills, so I couldnt say if it ever actually floated.
Vince used to wear old fashioned training shoes and in PT he liked to wear massive old blue shorts, I understand he was a bit of a sailor so this is probably where the deck shoes/training shoes came from.
When we had the school photo taken, we were told to turn up for school wearing full uniform which included white shirts, as I was a bit of a rebel I turned up in a blue and white checked Ben Sherman shirt. Vince went mad and knocked me around the school for a few minutes before I locked myself in the school toilets, where he could not get me. If you look closely at the photo you will see that my shirt is not plain white.