World Teachers Day, My Inspiration
World Teachers' Day, 'My Inspiration'
I had the good fortune to win a place at the City of Norwich School.
On my arrival at the school in September 1962, I was repeatedly asked by some (to my eyes) very ancient teachers, "Are you Joe Webb's son?" My father had left the school in 1935, having established a reputation as a fine footballer and cricketer which marked him out as a superb player for many years to come. No fewer than twenty-seven members of staff taught both of us!
However, the teacher who inspired me had only(!) been there for the best part of twenty years; and he, Geoffrey Harvey only taught me for one year - the Lower Sixth. He would arrive in front of our group of eleven keen and expectant A Level German students, shuffle in his jacket pocket for his cigarettes, light up and then proceed to pour out his profound knowledge of German language,literature and culture to his spellbound audience. As the somewhat cramped room filled with smoke, we were regaled with stories, laughed at wickedly funny jokes, marvelled at his unbelievable command of the language (he knew a six thousand word vocabulary book off by heart) but most essentially, were so inspired by his love of the language that we all achieved the top two grades and went on to study modern languages at uni.
As the school bell sounded at four o'clock, Mr Harvey would roar down the school drive in his Triumph Herald, scattering schoolboys in all directions. He was heading hotfoot to the BBC Studios in Norwich, from where he would deliver the regional news in his impeccable deep, sonorous voice. Small wonder he became our hero, our guide and mentor but above all our inspiration.
He never told us but we found out he won a Double First at Cambridge in French and German. We weren't surprised!
He left the school in 1969. Sadly, it was only a few years later that I heard he had passed away. Perhaps he enjoyed his beloved cigarettes too much - I just don't know.
What I do know was that I gained a German Degree at Bristol, a PGCE at Madeley College, a place packed full of superb P.E. lecturers, and went on to enjoy a fantastic thirty-five years teaching German and Sport at five wonderful schools.
Thank you, Mr.Harvey. I smile at your memory.