Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2018 | Page 36

Interview
John as Headmaster of Ryde School Junior School, 1976
badly needed at the time, to replace all
those who had retired or been lost during
the war.
He applied and was accepted at
the Institute of Education at London
University, and in the circumstances, was
allowed to end his National Service early.
A teacher in the making
John excelled in his studies, coming
away with an Honours Degree, and then
went on to Trinity College of Music where
he developed his passion for music.
“I’m not sure where it came from” he
laughs. “My father was completely tone-
deaf and my mother’s musical ability
only extended to singing pop songs of
the time!”
It was after working as an English and
music teacher for some years, that John
saw an advert for the Headmaster post at
Ryde Junior School in 1968.
Like many people, he had fond
memories of family holidays spent on the
Island with his wife Sheila and young son
Jonathan, and so he applied for the job,
and got it, against competition from 16
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“I’m not exactly a
JK Rowling, but the
Vackies books are
doing pretty well, and
particularly in the USA
and Canada, because it
seems Americans like
anything to do with
that period of history.”
other applicants.
Here on the Island he immersed himself
in school life at Ryde, and also became the
organist and choirmaster at Ryde Church.
When, eight years later, he was offered
the Headship of a prep school in Purley,
the family were keen to maintain their
connection with the Island so they kept a
holiday home here, and came back to it
regularly.
Family tragedy
John and Sheila also left behind their
son Jonathan, then aged 17, who had
secured himself an apprenticeship with
Plessey Radar and had been judged their
Apprentice of the Year.
Jonathan married young and set up
home on the Island when an almost
unimaginable double tragedy struck the
family: the young couple’s first baby died
of cot death, and then just three months
after his wife had given birth to a second
child, Jonathan was killed in a motorbike
accident.
It was naturally a harrowing time for John
and Sheila, and if there were any crumb of
comfort that came from their loss, it was
the huge joy and pride they experienced
in seeing their little grandson Jeremy, now
aged 27, growing up.
Ironically, Jeremy has followed his
grandfather into teaching. He was