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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 7
hence picking up new knowledge and
skills, including being able to list, name
and compare the quality of surgical
instruments from England (Sheffield of
course), China or Germany. To this day he
could still name the doctors and vets in the
areas he visited.
For the next three years Geraint developed
his teaching skills in St Albans... in
preparation for the ‘call’ to Stationers! The
opportunity was too great to miss! Once
there he totally immersed himself in every
aspect of school life, encouraging learning
within the classroom and, just as
importantly, beyond the classroom. We
still have Old Stationers visiting who
graphically recall those legendary field
trips, some of whom found inspiration for
their future careers because of their
enhanced knowledge and understanding
of geology and geography gained through
the ‘soles of their boots’. A number of these
City children had never experienced the
sights and sounds of the countryside, let
alone be up-close to farm animals, enjoy
the majesty of a mountain or... wash their
frying-pans in a stream. To gain the skills
of orienteering, Geraint introduced the
idea to the students of The Three Peak
Challenge in Yorkshire, the start and end
of which would be recorded in the Pen-yghent
cafe. For those not familiar with this
challenge, it entailed climbing three
mountains totalling 5,200 feet of ascent,
over a distance of 24 miles, within twelve
hours! On completion Geraint was as
proud of their achievements as the students
themselves! We understand these trips to
Derbyshire, Yorkshire and his beloved
North Wales were highlights for children
and staff.
Due to the closure and demolition of
Stationers’ School, Geraint secured a
position at Nower Hill School in the
Borough of Harrow. He attained the
position of Deputy Head and soon found
himself enjoying the new challenges of
management. Subsequently, he found
himself with a budget to be used to build
new facilities to enhance the school and
spent a happy year visiting other schools
up and down the country to learn how he
could maximise the use of his budget by
looking at the best of their facilities.
Geraint’s final teaching post was in the
East end of London at Bethnal Green
Technology College where he embraced
new challenges ~ that of communicating
with students whose first language was not
English. In fact there were thirty-five
different languages used by children in
that school.
Retirement was looming and Geraint
began to look forward to pursuing his
many hobbies and interests. Leading up to
the year 2000 his mobility was decreasing
due to deterioration of his hip-joint and he
thought it was goodbye to those precious
views from high peaks. However, several
years later, following a successful operation,
his McMinn hip took him back up to his
beloved Peaks in Yorkshire to enjoy once
again his cup of tea in the Pen-y-ghent
cafe, and, even more challenging, back to
Snowdon and Crib Goch. A dream or the
challenge he thought he would never do
was becoming a possibility ~ he began to
plan to walk the 268 miles from Edale to
Kirk Yetholm ~ The Pennine Way! And
indeed he did it!
There are so many stories we would like to
share with you but time is restricting us.
Please let us share three more. A German
Prisoner of War, who had been stationed at
Geraint’s uncle’s farm, returned years later
to Wales with some members of his family,
so as to introduce them to the Welsh
family who had looked after him so well.
Geraint and John Leeming with the upper 6th in 1974
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