I recall John Bax , who might have promoted a stern demeanour , underneath was a kind man and a good history teacher ; Maths was taught by Mr Liddell , a good teacher but who could be easily persuaded to end a lesson with ten minutes of a Bulldog Drummond novel .
In my first years at Banda my class teacher was Mrs Michael , who died in mid-1968 when I was in the UK on leave with my family . I remember being very confused by her absence at the start of the following term , until a classmate told me that she had passed away . A prize for Endeavour was established in her memory , which I won in 1969 ( I still have the tiny replica cup ). My favourite teacher was Peter Huxley , who taught English and French and produced the school plays .
SCHOOL PLAYS
The first play to be formed was Tom Sawyer in June 1969 , on an openair stage that had been built beside the dining room . Although not cast , I spent a lot of break and lunch times watching Peter Huxley direct the rehearsals . Early on the morning of the Sunday before the performance was due to be staged Mr Bax phoned my mother to say that the boy playing the part of Tom , Robert Falconer-Taylor , had got appendicitis and that it was suggested I take the part . After church my mother and I went out to the school to pick up the script ( which I still have ) and I spent the rest of the day learning lines . There followed a week of cramming lines and intensive rehearsals ( and missing lessons ) and on Friday the performance when ahead . The following year it was Macbeth and I played Macduff ( and Robert played Macbeth , to compensate for missing out the year before ).