DEATHS AND OBITUARIES
Thomas Pollock ( Former Staff , 88-93 ), known as Tom , was a well-known figure in the teaching profession in Pocklington given his 35-year career spanning both state and independent sectors in the same town . Originally hailing from Co . Antrim in Northern Ireland , Tom came to Pocklington in 1958 as one of the first teachers to be employed at the newly established Woldgate Secondary School . He was Head of the Mathematics department there for 25 years before taking early retirement at the age of 60 in 1988 . He was then offered a part-time teaching post at Pocklington School in the Mathematics department under Graham Sutton teaching A level ( including aspiring Oxbridge entrants ) until his full retirement in 1993 .
As a result of his ‘ portfolio ’ teaching career , Tom was a well-known and popular character across both staff groups creating an important professional and social bridge across the two schools which included helping organise some very memorable joint staff trips to the continent on wine buying expeditions !
He was known as a hard , no-nonsense teacher but one that was always fair to all pupils irrespective of their educational level . He took particular pride in helping those who struggled at GCSE level to make it over the pass / fail line especially when Mathematics was an essential requirement for future apprenticeship or military service careers .
Rugby , cricket , golf and Manchester United were Tom ’ s main passions in sport . He played front row hooker for Larne RUFC at 1st and 2nd XV levels during the early 1950s . Then , after moving to the area in 1958 , he played initially for Pocklington RUFC 1st XV for a couple of seasons followed by regular stints in the 2nd XV team . After retiring from playing , he took on the role of rugby correspondent for the Pocklington Times . He wore his Irish heritage proudly ( and usually loudly !) especially during the Six Nations Championship . He played golf as a member at Driffield Golf Club and then latterly Allerthorpe .
He lived in Pocklington for the rest of his life , fortunately remaining in very good health well into his 90s alongside his wife Laura . Tom died on 23 January 2023 – just two weeks after Laura ’ s own funeral – following complications from a fall . His funeral was held at St Mary & St Joseph Catholic Church on 15 February 2023 . It was attended by many ex-Woldgate and Pocklington School teaching colleagues to mark their own respect and admiration for Tom as a much-loved teacher , colleague , and good friend to all . He leaves two daughters , one son , six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren .
Colin Pollock ( 1970-77 )
David John Rose ( 72-78 ) died peacefully at home on Tuesday 6 June 2023 . He is survived by his wife , Isabel , and his children ; Heloise , Megan , and Erin , and six grandchildren . David and Isabel lived in Blandford Forum in Dorset from 2003 , before moving to Colehill , Wimborne in 2021 .
David was born in Edinburgh but moved to Kenya at the age of six weeks . His father , a water engineer , returned to the UK at Kenyan independence . He has three sisters ( Liz , Anne , and Fiona ) and a brother ( Andrew ). He went to school at Pocklington , where he excelled at sport , coming second in English Schools 800m , and playing for the England Schools rugby at U16 and U19 level .
He joined the army in 1979 and was commissioned into the Green Howards , serving with them in Northern Ireland , UK , Cyprus , and Germany . David also served with 10th Gurkha Rifles in Hong Kong and Brunei and the 1st Kings Regiment in Cyprus and UK . He served the United Nations in Cyprus and the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and with NATO in Macedonia and Kosovo . David and the family spent a very happy year at the Indian Staff College in South India . He was also involved in operations in Guyana , Afghanistan , Pakistan , Nepal , and Sierra Leone in 2000 , where he ran the Information Operations campaign that was one of the main reasons for the defeat of the Revolutionary
United Front and for which he was awarded an MBE . He retired in 2014 and worked for Babcock International Group .
In Blandford , he was very active in the community . As a member of Rotary International , he ran the Clean-Up Blandford Campaign for 14 years and the Blandford Hidden Gardens open day for 12 years . He was a member of the Blandford Town Team .
In 2020 , he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease . David and Isabel moved into and converted a house with his eldest daughter and mother-in-law . The age range in the house was 90 years to three years , and there was never a dull moment . David was very pragmatic about the disease and whilst he could , he did as much as he could for the MND Association , including raising over £ 20,000 on a charity walk . He was so brave , and his family and friends are so proud of him .
( Andrew Rose , 86-93 )
Bernie Simpson in lineout action in 1972
Douglas Bernard Simpson ( 53-59 ) died in May 2023 aged 81 after a long spell of illness at Hull Royal Infirmary .
As a boy , he travelled to Pocklington School by train from his home in Holme-on-Spalding Moor , and continued railway journeys back to Pocklington to play rugby for the town club after leaving school and going to art college in Hull .
He was a man of many names – known as Douglas to his family , Bernie to his school and teammates , then at work being dubbed ‘ Nym ’ after the Shakespearean character , Corporal Nym , that he played in a school play . Many years later someone in the pub misheard his nickname and called him Jim ! Typically , he never corrected the error , and he was known as Jim Simpson in Beverley circles for the rest of his life .
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