Abingdonian 2020

96 The Abingdonian departments. With his willingness to find time for others regarding both personal and professional matters, he was ideally suited to his final role, that of Senior Teacher. Capable of viewing and judging issues from different angles and responding sympathetically when giving the necessary guidance, his contribution was very much appreciated by those in senior management – and not forgetting all those years of organising the daily cover arrangements, a thankless task which became increasingly complex and time consuming. He was very supportive behind the scenes of many colleagues and those in the wider school community who have been most grateful for the considerable time he has found to help them; his genuine care for the welfare of all those at school will be sorely missed. A long standing, loyal servant of Abingdon, Ian has finally decided to step down from a school career he has so wholeheartedly and energetically embraced for so many years, to spend more time with his family and indulge in his love of travelling, especially if it involves a nautical theme. His deep interest in his subject and teaching has been clear from the moment he arrived at Abingdon, and it must be a source of pride and satisfaction that two of his sons have decided to pursue careers in education - one as a geography teacher. Obviously not all of those impassioned talks on ‘soft and hard’ engineering down on the Hampshire coast fell on stony ground… I am sure he, along with Jenny and the ‘boys’ will be keen to keep in close contact with their friends and former colleagues at school and will always be made to feel most welcome whenever they wish to visit. All the best for your retirement Ian, but I am sure you will be back soon, if only to have sneaky look at that ‘live’ screen in the Geography Department showing the current activity of the world’s shipping lanes… Nick Revill