Abingdonian 2017

108 The Abingdonian fan and I would often see him buried in the Chronicles of Castle Grayskull or some such epic saga on school trips when long coach voyages dragged on. He also did some epic impressions - Yoda and the Churchill dog being my favourite. He was always good-humoured in his relations with colleagues in the department and Tudor-based banter flowed easily. In the end the lure of London proved too strong. Matt’s fiancé’s decision to abandon academia and get a well-paid job in finance, although understandable, deprived us of a great teacher and so City of London Boys will now greet the ex-Byker Grove star and teacher to its common room. We shall miss him! David McGill Steve Newton Steve joined us in 2012 following time in New Zealand teaching outdoor pursuits and a short return to teaching Design and Technology at Oakham. His contribution to school life crossed many areas; as a keen kayaker he contributed to the Kayaking Club and ran many water- based expeditions across the country. His subject knowledge was comprehensive and he pioneered the use of 3d printing within the department, developing the CAD skills of the boys in order to really exploit this developing manufacturing process. He taught across all of the year groups in his time here, but the A-level students in particular benefitted from his wealth of industrial experience and creative ideas. He leaves us to lead his own department at the Stamford Endowed Schools in Lincolnshire. Dan Hughes Douglas Aitken Douglas came to Abingdon to run the Modern Languages Department in 1998. During his 19 years here his skill and vitality have been evident in the many areas he has been involved in. A talented linguist who taught German and Italian throughout his time, he studied Spanish and French, too, which he later taught. Colleagues describe him as supportive even when busy, as open-minded and willing to try things out, but forthright in saying something was nonsense once he had tried to make it work. He rarely got annoyed, and was always engaging, and was prepared to prick any pomposity in himself or others. By 2003 he was a day housemaster, when, in his appraisal, I commented that “Douglas’ lessons showed all the skill one would expect in an experienced and capable teacher who has led a department… Douglas has an easy, charming manner with the pupils both inside the lesson, and outside. He respects them, and they respect him, and despite the other time pressures on him, with considerable Other Half involvement, boys report that they feel able to go to him if they have a problem.” Having been a visiting tutor in School House on his arrival, Douglas later took over as Housemaster and ran the house successfully for seven years with his wife Yvonne and children Cameron and Eloise close at hand. Latterly he was also Head of Boarding. An enthusiastic hockey coach in the tundra of Tilsley, Douglas showed his commitment to helping out wherever the need when he became master i/c shooting. As a linguist Douglas has been an enthusiastic participant in exchanges and on other tours, clearly enjoying the experience of other cultures. Douglas had had to cope with ill health in recent years, but the respect between student and teacher, described in his 2003 appraisal, has helped carried him through, where others might have found difficulties. With retirement to Bostock Road we all hope to keep in contact with Douglas. David Dawswell Douglas Aitken Steve Newton