My junior school headteacher, Alan Harper, who has died aged 86 of vascular dementia, seldom forgot a pupil’s name, even decades after they left.
With Lancasterian County primary school – affectionately dubbed “The Lancs” – five minutes from the River Severn, in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Alan took personal responsibility for ensuring that all pupils learned to swim. He also excelled at teaching adults, which developed into a teach-the-teacher role, and became one of the most qualified learn-to-swim instructors in the UK.
Our school was next to Shrewsbury prison, and once the school had closed in 1988, Alan – Mr Harper to us – spent 10 years teaching inmates basic English and maths. Regularly encountering former pupils, or their parents, out and about, he always made time for a chat, enthusiastically recounting minute details of treasured school-day moments.
Alan was born in Poole, Dorset, to William Harper, a boilermaker, and Amy (nee Gordon), a cleaner. At Poole grammar school, he was a talented sportsman, incongruously known as “Podge”. Later, he acquired another ill-fitting nickname: “Hippy Harper” was what we called him.
After working briefly as a bus conductor and a banker, in 1957 he trained at Borough Road teaching college in Twickenham, starting his education career at Oakdale junior school in Poole, before moving in 1964 to Cherry Orchard primary school in Lichfield, Staffordshire, as deputy head. In 1968, aged 32, he became head of The Lancs.
He met Mikki Maal in 1957 at a dance at Christchurch hospital, Dorset, where Mikki - originally from Holland – was a nurse, and they married two years later.
Throughout his 20 years as head, Alan’s caring approach encouraged much more than academic pursuits. Country dancing, ambitious musical concerts, fancy dress parties, Abba-themed assemblies, orienteering and trips to Wales continue to spark great memories for three generations of schoolchildren. We reminisce about his warmth and fairness, and the way he worked to boost our self-esteem and lust for life, regardless of our background.
With Mikki and their three sons, he explored Wales, France and Spain. He wanted us to share a love of the great outdoors and led many a school camping adventure.
Alan took up golf in his 40s. As a popular member of Shrewsbury golf club for 30 years, he proudly sported a “King Hole-in-One” tie for official school photos after achieving no fewer than six. Rather than solely concentrating on his game he (typically) spent his spare time teaching fellow aspiring players.
Alan is survived by Mikki, their sons Paul, Ian and Gary, and seven grandchildren.
