OLD AZURIANS
ASSOCIATION
STAFF BIOGRAPHIES
SHORT NOTES
A momentous year – 1973/74
Just before the school entered its last year as a grammar school four members of staff retired who between them had accumulated over 100 years of service to the school. They were E H Foinette, R P Macrae, and A H Wurr, all of whom have more extensive biographies elsewhere on this section, and
​
R G Osborn who joined the Science department in 1959. He was educated at Lancing College and Exeter College, Oxford. He took up teaching after a successful career in the Royal Artillery, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel. He continued teaching part-time after his retirement.
John H Barkell was the senior History Master, Music Master and a House Master (Vikings) at Worthing High School for Boys in the early years of the school’s history when it only numbered 360 pupils. He joined the school (1927 or earlier) after four years of service with the Devonshire and Middlesex Regiments in France and Belgium during the First World War.
He was educated at Tavistock Grammar School, and Exeter College, Oxford (Modern History), and had two years of professional training at University College, Exeter. He was captain of both school and college 1st elevens in football and cricket.
He left WHSB in 1930 to take up the post of Headmaster at Daventry School.
Much of the content here has been gathered from copies of the "Azurian" for which I express my grateful thanks to all those who have supplied me with information, and especially to Richard Newman who has devoted a lot of his time to this project. - Ed.
Among the other members of staff who served the school for 10 or more years were:-
L J Allchin: Geography and Geology (1946-1974+)
A Rae: History (1930-c. 1945)
J Brooke: Music (1941-57)
B Bush: Chemistry (1944-55)
N Dickinson: Art (1947-67+)
W T Hazard: Art (1924-47)
E J Hills: School Secretary (1941-54)
J T James: Chemistry (1956-68)
H Jay: PE (1947-1967+)
A V Scudamore: Woodwork, Games (1924-39?)
J E Waugh: R I, School Orchestra (1945-74+)
J H West: English (1943-67+)
Colin Archibald Campbell Ross (1967-69)
Although he was at the school for only two years, his career was so unusual and distinguished that perhaps he deserves special mention. Born in Brecon in 1911, at the age of 16 he was articled as a pupil to J H Carden the organist at Brecon Cathedral. Ross became assistant organist in 1935. He then served in the army during WW2 after which he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1947 he was appointed organist at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, a post he held until 1951. On his return to England he held several posts as organist before being appointed as organist at Newcastle Cathedral. He joined the school in 1966 to take over the Music Department. A few years after leaving the school he joined the staff of Chichester College of Further Education. He died in 1993.
By N Hutchins, The Azurian Dec. 1946
How many can you recognise?