Newsletter Spring 2022
LIVES REMEMBERED David Allen (Boys’ Division Staff, 1957-1993) David was born in Bacup, moving to Great Harwood as war started and his father was needed as a fire officer there. At 11 he gained a scholarship to Accrington Grammar School, from where, after many attempts to gain his School Cert Latin, he won a further scholarship to the University of Oxford. After a Baptist start, his family joined the Congregational church, where he soon followed his father as a lay preacher, a deacon and Sunday School Superintendant. Scouting was allimportant from the day he was invited to join his new friends at the 4th Great Harwood Cubs! When he went to Oxford (a huge culture shock, moving from clogs and cobbles to gowns, mortar boards and being waited on at table!) it was helping at a local Scout troop that kept him grounded. His father died in his first year, adding yet more stress, but a natural acting ability, his love of preaching and a huge desire to learn more kept him going and his original three-year Geography course was extended to a Theology degree and then a Teaching diploma (kept going with many holiday jobs, from 8-loom weaving to Christmas Post), whereupon he decided enough was enough and he’d better apply for a job! A job at Bolton School brought him back to his beloved Lancashire, and he transferred his Scouting to the 19th Bolton Group. Scouting also brought about his marriage to Margaret, whose father was the Group Scout Leader, HVB! His original appointment was to the Geography department, but this eventually took a back place as he concentrated more and more on the RE, which eventually led to him becoming Head of Religious Studies. Here he was not quite so restricted – he famously said he “taught boys, not exams”, but his love of maps and visiting foreign lands was shown in the adventurous Senior Scout camps that he (or was it the boys themselves?) planned. He was delighted when his two daughters joined the Ventures and were able to share some of the challenges and fun. He was awarded both the Silver Acorn and the Silver Wolf, and shortly before
he died he was told he had his 70-year service award! In addition to many outdoor pursuit and Scout visits to St Marks, Cautley, and New Year youthhostelling walks, there were about 30 years of third form camps, mainly at Saundersfoot (and mostly shared by his family) with other dedicated and courageous members of staff. They were an annual headache and delight! Who could resist singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, choked by woodsmoke and too often in drizzle? And as for visits to the local hospital or police station – well, enough said … those are better left to your private memories! After his retirement from teaching, David took further training and was ordained as a minister to the URC, taking up ministry at Little Lever URC and helping them join with the local Methodists as the LEP at Christ Church, where he served for ten years. Then, with more freedom after his second retirement, he and Margaret were able to thoroughly enjoy visits to wonderful places, from The Holy Land to the Arctic, sailing in the Canaries to studying prehistoric remains in the Shetlands, and of course Norway, the country of their first foreign visit together! Always it was the people he met who mattered most, although his three children and five grandchildren were his real delight. Throughout all this was his love of music, particularly choir singing where his powerful tenor voice was a valuable asset. He treasured his weekly School choir practices long after his actual teaching days were over. And as for Reunions – there couldn’t be enough of them! He was always so intrigued to follow up those young men he had taught and to discover how they had moved on in life. It was one such meeting which resulted in him helping to set up a branch of Emmaus in Bolton, a charity which helps homeless people to find a home and an aim in life; David believed strongly that everyone deserves a chance to overcome previous mistakes and misfortunes and to regain their self-respect by helping those worse off than themselves – not a
bad principle for all of us! As his daughters sang at his funeral, “Farewell My Friend”. Margaret Allen (née Brookes, 1947-1957) I was one of a number who helped teach the RE syllabus and, without formal qualification to do this, I greatly appreciated David’s enthusiastic guidance. His enthusiasm and dedication were apparent in the very many assemblies he led. Beyond his major professional role, he played an original and important part in the extra-curricular life of the School. He designed and pioneered the sponsored walk which was completed by boys and staff over many years; he energetically raised money for charities; he initiated blood donation by staff and senior pupils. These are the areas in which I had contact with him. His many other achievements are recorded in The Boltonian, particularly his distinguished leadership of Scouts and Venture Scouts. There are many tributes to come from people whose lives he touched in all kinds of ways. His was the kind of service which has meant so much to the Bolton School. Charles Winder (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-1999) When David’s death was announced there was an outpouring of sympathy from Old Boys, many of whom shared their memories of this ‘legendary’ teacher. Although he only taught me for one year in 3rd Form (Social Studies), he seemed to appear in every circle of my Bolton School Venn diagram. If it wasn’t Scouts, then it was as a tenor belting out that line for years – even after he’d retired – while I tried to emulate him, or doling out Fisherman’s Friend’s as we waited to file on for some concert or service, and if not that then in a main School production (Oliver in 1990 and Iolanthe in 1993) or the Saundersfoot 2nd year camp (1990 in my case) or saying grace at an OBA Dinner or reunion. He really was Mr Bolton School. An ever present for me and a huge influence on my life. There was always an amusing anecdote, or a rich remembrance of times past which stretched back decades before I even arrived at the School and went on, seemingly for decades, after I had left. He was the stuff of legend, Boris
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