We say farewell to a much loved design and technology teacher who is starting his retirement after serving the school for 33 years.
Originally appointed as a “teacher of metalwork and plastics”, Allan Blamire is respected by generations of product design pupils and students.
He’ll be remembered as a dedicated Bell House tutor, an excellent teacher and as someone who was always prepared to go the extra mile.
Mr Blamire’s “Ginger Nut Club” (otherwise known as detention) was a place of humour as well as hard labour, as Year 11 pupils completed their GCSE coursework.
Over the years, Allan Blamire has supported the school’s Parents’ and Friends’ Association with great energy and he was a leading light in the fundraising campaign for the Sports Hall.
As leading prankster in the design and technology faculty, Mr Blamire has been responsible for contributing to the school’s annual fancy dress days with some memorable creations at the Bishop Luffa Close gates, including a huge, sinking Titanic which almost dwarfed the buildings behind it.
But it is in his wider role as Young Enterprise and Business Co-ordinator that he has become best known in recent years.
The Young Enterprise scheme gives sixth form students the experience of running their own real companies, complete with business plans, share capital and marketing strategies.
Under Mr Blamire’s watchful guidance, Bishop Luffa’s Young Enterprise teams have swept the board of district awards, won many regional prizes and represented Great Britain in an International Young Enterprise competition in Switzerland.
Many local business men and women have to thank Mr Blamire for his patient mentoring as they have learnt the role of business advisor for the YE teams, while Young Enterprise is an experience that few sixth form students will forget.
As well as receiving a warm send-off from all his colleagues at the end of term, Mr Blamire was also guest of honour at a gathering of members of the Chichester Area Young Enterprise. Mr Ivor Page, local area chairman for Young Enterprise, paid tribute to Allan Blamire’s work, as did the student representatives of the current Young Enterprise companies, Beth Hannan of Endeva and Ian Hughes of Onyx.
Members of the Design and Technology faculty also organised a special reception, which was held at the Victory Gallery at Portsmouth Naval Dockyard, alongside a floodlit HMS Victory.
Summing up Allan Blamire’s many achievements, for a teacher of so many years’ experience, it is remarkable that neither his enthusiasm, his energy nor his eccentricity have been dimmed.”


A message from Mr Allan Blamire
I am very grateful for the many messages and gifts I have received from students, parents and staff. I wish you all well for 2008.

A full-size version of the picture above can be seen here.

This photo is posted in the Picture Gallery PhotoGallery.