Eastern Daily Press, October 20, 2017
FLEET, LIONEL WILFRED Passed away on October 16th, 2017, aged 85, peacefully at Little Oldway Residential Home, Paignton, Devon. Retired headteacher of Northgate High School, Dereham. Beloved husband of Jean. Dad of Susan, Peter, David, Jennifer and Andrew and loving grandad to their families. Funeral service Wednesday, November 1st, 2017, 10.30 a.m. at The Co-Op Funeral Home, Dartmouth Road, Paignton.
Lionel Fleet was a pupil at SGS, entering in 1943 as recalled by Dick
Housden who arrived a year earlier and who also came back to
teach here.
He was School Captain in 1950. He took an active part in the Old
Boys Club, for example he was listed as Chairman in the programme for
the 1962 Annual Dinner.
 from the 1946 School photo |
 Lionel Fleet and Dick Housden, from the 1949 School photo |
Lionel Fleet and Dick Housden, from the 1960 School photo
Soham Grammarian Summer 1956
We have pleasure in announcing that Mr Quinn's place will be taken by LW Fleet, an Old Boy of the school now returning to us from Cambridge University.
Soham Grammarian Summer 1961
We record with regret the departure of Messrs Thomas, Watts, Fleet and Frampton.
Newmarket Journal, Thursday Aug 7 1969
Appointed Headmaster
Mr Lionel Fleet, son of the late Mr and Mrs PC Fleet and a native of Isleham, has been appointed headmaster of East Dereham Secondary Modern School, and will commence his duties in January.
At present Mr Fleet is deputy head of Blackdown High School, Leamington Spa and was formerly a teacher at Impington Village College and Soham Grammar School.
Lionel Fleet was the Town Clerk of Wayland until May 2003.
See also:
Cricket 1st XI late 1940s
Dumb Wife
of Cheapside 1950
Ten Little
Niggers 1959
and other references by using the Search page
20/10/19 Alan Diver SG40 writes: Sorry to hear of the demise of Lionel Fleet. Here is an anecdote from 1944:
We both lived in Isleham and travelled by train to SGS involving a change of train at Fordham. On one occasion during 1944 we were returning from school and had arrived at Fordham, awaiting our train from Cambridge to take us to Isleham. As we waited we heard gunfire. A German fighter was attacking our train which we could see about four miles away. Fortunately the attacking aircraft only made one attack. The train arrived at Fordham Station with only superficial damage. Lionel and I returned to our homes with a story to tell!
After he was married he lived in Isleham but I only had contact with him on one occasion.
12/11/19 Mervyn Pamment SG53 writes: On the subject of the
death of Lionel Fleet I first knew him when I was about 8 years old
(circa 1950) and living temporarily in Isleham where my mother’s
adoptive parents ran the local Post Office. Next door was a local
garage and taxi service where Lionel used to 'hang out', possibly
working there helping the mechanics. I used to go there hoping to ride
out in one of the taxis when a fare turned up. I recall playing
football in the rather large garage and Lionel having to retrieve the
ball occasionally from the pit used by mechanics to access the underside
of vehicles.
I lost touch with him when I moved back to my home in Fordham, and was
surprised when he turned up at the school in my third year. As I
was on the Arts side and he taught Physics Lionel was never my tutor.
His love of football led him to become a referee, taking charge of
several local matches. He had studied at Oxford University and he
arranged for our (very good) school 1st team to play against the Oxford
Varsity side. Lionel, who officiated at the game, asked if I
would be one of the linesmen for the match. I can’t recall the
score, but I remember his strict instructions on how to apply the
offside rule.
We met several times after I left SGS to become a reporter on the local
Ely Standard/Soham Advertiser, and had the job of covering most
of the local village soccer matches, many of which he refereed.
If you can add memories of Mr Fleet or provide other photos of him,
please contact
the editor.
page created 12 Mar 12, last updated 12/11/19