When I first joined Secondary School at the age of 12, I was going nowhere academically. I was - as many of you have undoubtedly read - a bit of a troublemaker in my previous school and especially with fighting - even to the extent of being kidnapped by one boy's father on my way home (again you might have read about that).

However, a new school meant a new start. Complete with my brand new school uniform I immediately felt older and more mature and was determined to keep my nose clean. Of course I didn't entirely succeed, especially with one boy who wanted yet another fight with me. I had fought him several times at my previous school and all the aggression was very much on his side. In fact I went out of my way to try to avoid getting entangled with him again until one last provocation pushed me too far. We had a fairly evenly matched fight in the school physics classroom (the teacher was out of the room when it started but he did come in and stop us) and then during the lunch break I dropped him and it was as simple as that.

One of the legacies of my earlier school experience was that I was that child who was always disruptive and distracted and consequently, while the other children sat in groups of four around a table I had my own special desk set to one side away from mischief and the distraction of everybody else. It was a small wooden desk and it was facing the wall, although there was a kitchen type of sink between me and the wall. When not in use the desk was simply pushed under the sink.

What this meant was that I was failing to develop academically. Maybe my behaviour was off, maybe the teacher didn't know how to handle me and maybe I just had my head in the clouds. At that time I loved Maths and I think I did relatively well and I also integrated much better when the teacher was scarily strict; so I wasn't a lost cause.

When I moved into Secondary School I was placed in Set 2 for everything and this was to spectacularly change. With my Maths I was moved to the top group within 3 months and I actually found I was better than most of the top group who'd been there all along, but it was my English where something really begun to happen.

My Set 2 teacher, was Mr Maskery and his nickname was Werewolf given his bushy beard, mustache, and eyebrows. Even his hair was the same and it did give him a very wolfish appearance. He was soon to become the most important academic influence in my life, not that I behaved like a perfect pupil for him. For example there was one occasion when I suddenly stood up and walked across his classroom while he was talking and punched another kid in the face. When he shouted at me and asked me why I did it I simply said "Because I felt like it!"

I am not quite sure if Problem Child is an exaggeration, but  at least I was always honest!

A couple of months into my school life he took me aside and said that I would never get on until I learn to write properly as my writing was almost illegible. He must have seen something in me because he then suddenly produced a book with a red cover.

I have just googled it and I was surprised how easy it was to find even after all of these years. I still distinctly remember the cover and it did exactly what it said on the cover, it was endless and frequently repetitive practice and practice makes perfect. Over the space of a few months my writing improved, and what also helped was that I would open the page of a novel and just copy it as my writing improved.

...but he was more than that...

I remember him being inspiring. I vividly recalled him telling stories of how he traveled through Egypt as a student with little more than a small backpack and a pen and notepad. I think this helped birth my thirst for travel and adventure (although I am getting a bit long in the tooth for that nowadays). 

More than this though, he really took me under his wing and drew me more and more into school life. He was also the drama teacher and initially working behind the scenes, opening and closing stage curtains on cue etc, I became more and more involved. I was enthusiastic and engaged and even though I never really had a talent for acting I did land one major role during my time at school; I played Ernie's dad in Ernie and His Incredible Hallucinations (by Alan Ayckbourn) when I was about 17, which was only second to the Ernie character himself. I also, probably more down to his influence than anybody else (although that might be doing my Music Teacher an injustice sorry!) landed a minor role in a school production of Joseph and his Multi-Coloured DreamCoat despite not being able to sing or play any musical instrument.

He got me involved and he got me engaged and my English level went through the roof. At the end of that academic year he told me that I really should go up to Set 1 in English for the next year, but that he wanted to give me a choice. More than aware of the miracle he had created through his dedication I decided to stay with him as I knew he could get the best out of me. A year later, when facing the same situation, he told me that I had to go up to Set 1 because otherwise it might affect my eventual exam results. So, it was with great reluctance that I moved up to Set 1 and was now at that level across the board, having moved up to Set 1 in everything else just a few months after making the initial move for Maths.

The most significant thing, that matters to this day, is that your native language and ability to use it is the gateway to almost everything else. You cannot complete essays in History, Geography, Religion or any other topics. You cannot write down your science experiments or your findings and conclusions without your native language.

And guess what? As I became more academically focused my behaviour improved. My group of friends even changed to those who were more focused on intellect, learning and academia in general and certainly not the rough and tough of some of the others - although I could still mix it up with them when occasion demanded.

And all of this was the gift that Mr Maskery gave to me. 

I often look back fondly on how much he achieved with me and it would be nice to think that I was his single most impressive success story, but that may well not have been the case, as he may well have taken others on and I wouldn't be surprised. A few years ago I tried to find any trace of him online but couldn't. I did hear, but not in an absolutely confirmed way, that he had passed away some time ago and so, if this is the case, I will never have the opportunity to tell him how grateful I am, even all these years later.

As always stay safe and well my friends.

NB. The image is AI-generated and not right but it gives a relatively good impression.