John Turner
Head of Norwich House

John Turner was a geography graduate. His studies were interrupted for a number of years by wartime service in the RAF. He was an aircrew navigator, training in South Africa, and serving in the Middle East and India.

After the war he completed his degree course, and obtained his post-graduate teacher's diploma.

He taught in several schools, but left teaching for some time to run a Christian Mission and boys' club in the Everton area of Liverpool.

He joined the staff of Kingham Hill School in January 1956, marring Pauline in the same year.

Pauline was a State Registered Nurse, and was a theatre sister at the Manchester Royal Infirmary at the time of her marriage.

In September 1956 they took over the responsibility for Norwich House, working together there until the late sixties. They both took a full part in the life of the school.

John was one of the founders of the Octagon Debating Society, taking groups of boys to the Oxford Union debates from time to time.

He had a memorably idiosyncratic way of refereeing games of Rugby.

His geography syllabus included teaching about activities in the then little known Soviet Union. The boys' external examination results were praised in a letter to the Warden from the examiner who had marked the papers.

Pauline was wardrobe mistress for a number of school plays. Especially the memorable production of " A Man for all Seasons" produced and directed entirely by two sixth form boys. They were some of the most satisfying and enjoyable years of their lives together, and in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

John Turner died on the 21 September 1997, aged 74 years.

This article and photo were contributed by Mrs. Pauline Turner, March 2007.