Cottesmore Boys School
Staff Photo - 1947/48

Front Row
From left to right: Mr Hornbuckle, Mr Fox, Jock Smiley, Mr Leaning (Head), Pop Mason, Mr Happer

Middle Row
From left to right: Peter Badham, Ron Humphrey, Trevor Hodgson, Les Butterworth, Mike Tarlton, Jock Galagher, Ken Allen, Mr Tuchler.

Back Row
From left to right: Mick Gill, Stan Rogers, Jim Everett, Jim Watson, George Dixon

 
Photograph donated by Trevor Hodgson

Cottesmore Teachers
Mr Hornbuckle, taught Science. Percy Fox was a woodwork teacher and was something of a tyrant, throwing chisels at boys he did not like or who were badly behaved. Mr Leaning was the head from the start of the school in the thirties until his retirement in circa 1951/2. Pop Mason was the deputy head.  He was an amazing personality having lost a leg in the first war He taught many different subjects and was extremely well liked by the pupils. Gordon Happer had been a major during the war and taught Geography.  He taught it really well and imbued a real love of the subject in me.  He was rather unconventional. I recall that he sometimes took to wearing his tie around his waist to hold up his trousers. After Mr Leaning retired a Mr Skilbeck became the head but then he left to become head at another school in 194/55 and Mr Happer was appointed head in his place.  Mr Tarlton taught History (I think), Mr Galagher, English and I seem to recall that Mr Tuchler (an Austrian who fled Germany) taught Maths. Jim (Rivet-head) Everett was the Metalwork teacher and terror of terrors Dicko (George Dixon) taught French.

I can’t really recall anything else about the other teachers on the staff photograph.

Mike Frost