THE
WAY WE LIVED THEN
Recollections
from four centuries of British Life
by Edward
Armitage, drawings by Peter Askem
Greatly missed -
Edward Armitage |
Ex-head's legacy of a
bygone era
Edward Armitage, the
last headmaster of Soham Grammar School, has died at the
age of 91. Mr Armitage was appointed head in 1945, and he
held the post until the school was merged to become Soham
Village College in 1972.
He ran the school's weekly boarding house for 20 years,
along with his wife May. Throughout his teaching career
he taught physics and his book, Practical Physics,
was used in schools both in Britain and abroad up until
the 1970s.
During his retirement
years he complied an anthology of writings, describing
day-to-day life in days gone by. Unfortunately, the work
was not completed before his final illness, but The
Way We Lived Then, will be published later this
year. |
He also served for many years as a
magistrate on the Newmarket bench. He leaves his wife May, his
three sons, Rod, Robin and Richard and seven grandchildren.
"He was kind, outgoing and always very interested in
bringing out the very best in people," said Rod, his eldest
son. "He will be greatly missed by his family, former pupils
and friends. He was always very alive to the humorous angle,
including where he was personally involved. His mind was very
much alive and he always had to have some project he was working
on." He added: "I am particularly glad that he was able
to see in the last few weeks the confirmation for publishing of
his latest book." The funeral took place at St Mary's
Church, Ely on Tuesday.
source not identified
| THE
WAY WE LIVED THEN - Recollections from four centuries of
British Life, by Edward Armitage (Robson Books,
2001: hardback ISBN 1 861053894) £16.95. Drawings by
Peter Askem. "The
Way We Lived Then is a fascinating anthology of
memoirs chronicling British life in the seventeenth,
eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The
wealth of material from people of all classes provides an
enthralling and detailed portrait.
All aspects of existence
are covered, including life at home, at work and at
school, in towns and villages, and within all social
groups. These captivating first-hand accounts of life in
Britain have been gathered together to create a unique
and wide-ranging compilation of historical sources.
|
|
Subjects include the
following: harsh discipline in seventeenth century schools, city
slums in the 1880s and the treatment of suffragettes in prison
during 1910. An entertaining anthology, essential for those
interested in British social history."
this book is available via good booksellers or Amazon