Mr Pryce
I was lucky enough to have been taught by a great many wonderful teachers, but only one of them was cut down in his prime by cancer a couple of years after I left in what has to be one of the saddest human tragedies I've personally experienced. So, here's some of my fond recollections of the very great Mr Pryce.

A hulk of a man, with a booming voice, he was quite a sight when riled. When he thought someone was out of line he would never hesitate in sparing the 'hairdryer'. Legend has it he once bodily through a desk at someone who was acting up. However, he was never unfair if he thought someone was genuinely making an effort and, unlike a lot of teachers, never held a grudge. He was definitely on your side, too - he fought tooth and nail to get a pupil's late coursework accepted by the exam board (eventually succesfully) although we didn't find that out till years later.

He gave up some of his lunchtimes to take me and a few other people through GCSE history we otherwise couldn't have done due to timetabling clashes, except on the one memorable occasion when he informed us that today, we would just be watching the cricket. It was, of course, the oval test 2005, and that lesson we saw Warne drop Pietersen before he made that preposterous 158 that wil live long in the memory. Not that his classes weren't always both entertaining and engaging too, he would go far outside the syllabus if he thought we'd benefit from it, which frequently we did. He'd never talk down to us, but always and without ego was absolutely in charge.

I feel so far I've painted a far sterner picture than was really the case, he was always quick to laugh and his sense of humour was distinctly 'unteacherly'. No one will ever forget his coming to our leaver's bash distinctly unsober and proceeding to heckle our headteacher during her, as ever, somewhat long speech. At his conclusion, the wall he was leaning against obviously became far too slippery and, very slowly, without his expression so much as flickering, slid down onto his arse.

He also came to watch one of the first ever gigs I played with a rhythm and blues band, a kind of music we shared a mutual enjoyment for, in a typically low-key and undemonstrative way.

I'm sure he deserved, and most likely received, better written elegies than this from people who knew his far better than I, but Mr Pryce, you were a bloody legend.
(WarneMarsh My priority for frivolity begets quality jollity, Thu 17 Mar 2011, 18:18, 3 replies)

Ex Ditcham.
Is this Martin Pryce of Ditcham Park? If so, I whole heartedly agree!
(Rambunction, Thu 17 Mar 2011, 20:55, closed)

The very same
When were you there?
(WarneMarsh My priority for frivolity begets quality jollity, Thu 17 Mar 2011, 22:59, closed)

through a desk
It would have been a better story if he 'threw' it.
(erewhon, Wed 23 Mar 2011, 16:34, closed)