Brian Pilkington

Brian and I were colleagues at Chadderton Grammar School, he was a brilliant teacher, it was a real pleasure to work with him, I can honestly say I learnt a lot from him, he was a gentleman in every sense of the word, Mike O Hare.

Pilk has left us
For me, and I am sure for many others who he taught, the death of Brian Pilkington, Physics teacher at Heywood Grammar (HGS) and later Heywood Senior High School for many years, is reflected by the Maori saying, “‘kua hinga te kauri o te wao nui a Tāne’ (the kauri has fallen in the sacred forest of Tāne), which signifies the loss of someone of great stature and respect, whose contribution has been massive and far-reaching. This for me is very apt when thinking of Brian.
Pilk was a larger that life figure, in actuality and figuratively. He was totally authentic, genuine, and had a great sense of humour. He taught me for all seven years I was at HGS and after university I came back and taught alongside him for two terms before leaving to teach in New Zealand.
I never did teacher training so all I had to guide me as a young teacher in New Zealand was what I had learned from Brian. He had shown me how to relate to kids and how to explain and check for understanding of what I was teaching. He had shown me how to be natural, confident and caring in how I taught. It served me well as a teacher and throughout the rest of my career in Education.
My thoughts are with Brian’s wife Sheila, his children and grandchildren in coping with his loss. I hope it is some comfort knowing just how many people’s lives he influenced through his teaching and how many of us look back with appreciation and affection at what Brian did for us.
Emeritus Professor of Education, Garry Hornby, now living in Barbados