On Retirement (1970)

The Retirement of Cyril Swaby, 1969

Cyril Swabey, the first Head of Maths  (pictured left in 1960),  retired in 1969. Here are the poem he wrote for the next year's Magazine and the valedictory note in that magazine's editorial.   Mr. Swabey was a deeply impressive man of many talents,  but a rather private personality.   Those of us who studied maths knew him as an excellent teacher of the subject,  and I also knew him as a photographer  -  he founded the School's Photographic Society and constructed a darkroom for us to use in what was intended to be a preparation room for the Biology classroom.   It included a pantograph arrangement he designed for a wooden enlarger which kept the enlarger in focus as it was moved up and down to change magnification.   That was constructed by the Woodwork master,  Mr. Riley,  who is remembered elsewhere in the 'School' section of the site.    Cyril Swabey had a photographic study of a dart board published as the cover of an edition of the Amateur Photographer.     I never knew he was also a poet,  but I'm not surprised at his competence or the style he chose.