J O P Jones

A while ago I came across this picture on an Internet site. This is J O P Jones, headmaster of Longlevens Secondary Modern School, Gloucester, and his dog Suzie. For the five years (1962-1967) I attended the school JOP and Suzie were permanent fixtures - yes Suzie attended school too.

JOP was a very gentle man who shook continuously. Rumour had it that during the Second World War he'd been aboard a ship that had been torpedoed.

He interviewed me just before I left his school. I was going on to the 6th form at Sir Thomas Rich's Grammar School, Gloucester and he strongly advised me to study English, Mathematics and History for GCE A Level and then to take a BEd. I've often wondered how my life would have turned out if I'd taken his advice. As it was I took English, Mathematics and Art for my A Levels and failed all three miserably. Dad wasn't keen on me re-sitting them so I took a job with an insurance company in Cheltenham instead of going on to higher education - it wasn't until my 40's that I got to study at university.

Shortly after we married my wife's parents moved to North Wales, first to Benllech on Anglesey and then to Penmaenmawr in Gwynedd where this photograph was taken - small world.