Derek Blake (1968) Memories
Thursday, May 7th, 2009At long last I have found Derek Blake’s letter from January 2008 for reproducing here:
January 2008
Dear Roger,
I’m writing this with my smart Old Su’s tie just removed after a session of adult English Lang. Classes. As I rarely wear a tie, the students wondered “why I was wearing a Barcelona F.C. tie?”. The colours coincide so I have to be careful where and when I wear it round here! Thanks for your regular newsletters and, as you asked for contributions in the last one, here are a few chosen comments that might safely be shared, abridged or whatever.
I arrived at CBBS with ex-St Mark’s School friends Mike Jenkins and John Glenn. I remember John in the St Mark’s football team starting from our penalty area and beating 20 players (our goalie at least didn’t get in his way) before slotting in the first of his many goals. Mike Jenkins was one of three staff sons in one class. Quiz question?? Well the others were Robin Barrett and Peter Radford. Suffice to say I enjoyed Art more than Chemistry but no hard feelings. The staff were in many cases larger than life characters, or at least seemed to be, none more than Alan Bennett. His occasional bark was much worse than his bite….. He once came into the Hall and caught me playing around with a double bass before a music class. Instead of ripping me off he said “Do you wanna learn to play that thing?” Thus started a lovely relationship and some great times in the School Orchestra with wonderful comments of Ben’s like the admonition to the cellist:-“ Don’t just tickle that bally thing between your legs!”
Many thanks to many staff, especially Roger Corrick, Ken Gelling, Tony Lawdham and Phil Turk with whom I had most contact.
After leaving in 68 I was off to Southampton to study Spanish and that has marked my life indelibly. As Manuel said to Basil Fawlty ‘Qué?’ I eventually started teaching Spanish and French in Ipswich and since football had always been a passion (Twerton Park every Saturday afternoon) when World Cup ESPAÑA came along I got an exchange post worked out near Madrid and was able to see England v Germany at the Bernabeu. But I fell for a Spanish Señorita and after marrying her and returning to Ipswich for 3 more years, we finally left for Spain in 1986.
Still teaching E.F.L, four children and 22 years later, we live in a nice part of the Madrid region near the mountains. If anyone fancies dropping in let me know! (Ask Phil Turk for directions)
Editor’s Note: Contact me for an address if you want to write to Derek. No e-mail yet.