Ivan (Spadger) Sparrow - 1957 to '60
Normally an even keeled teacher who enjoyed a laugh – although if pushed too far could quickly show a different side to his temperament. I remember him as a “character teacher” in two ways. Character, in one sense, due to his appearance, as his clothes always seemed to have been pressed with a “crumpling iron”. His slow walking speed, as if he were waiting for himself to catch up. “Nosey” would sort of bumble into the classroom, generally loaded up with a stack of books, and gave the impression that he was thinking he should be somewhere else and not with us lot (perhaps that was just his wishful thinking showing through). He would then deposit all his stuff onto his front desk as if building a defensive wall (which it probably was, knowing the behaviour of some of boys in the class), and then pace the front of the classroom as if thinking “What subject was it that I came in here to teach this menagerie”. If it was RI we were onto a winner (I somehow think he was not too enthused or serious about teaching that subject as we could easily steer him off-course), for example – for some reason we had the notion that he had been in the Tank Corp during the war (maybe, maybe not, anyway), if he were to start the lesson with some statement such as “When Moses came down from the mount carrying the Tablets.....” – up would go some "wags" hand and when permitted, would ask what most of us considered to be a relative and genuine question, such as “Would they have been water purification tablets because he had to drink from the river Jordan, Sir”? - depending on "Nosey’s" response, we would know whether “It” was, on or not. If it were "on", then all that was required was patience until he quoted some biblical line such as “.... whilst crossing the Sinai Desert .....” – up would go another hand from yet another of the brilliant academics we had in our class (it was full of them) that had learned from “Bogey” that the Sinai Desert was somewhere in the Middle East and would ask the “clincher” of questions, “Sir, would that have been where the Eighth Army was surrounded, Sir”? If “Nosey” were to reply with “No, they were in North Africa” or the like and began drawing a map on the board – we were “home and hosed” – a period of “desert warfare” and the undivided attention of everyone. Not only was “Nosey” a character in himself, but (pardon the pun) he had a nose that told him “These very “smart” young boys have unwittingly opened themselves up to absorb knowledge”, (and we thought "we" were in control – whereas “Nosey” had “out smarted” us without our knowing) – so knowledge they want, so knowledge they will get. He would not only give us all the “whizz-bang-wallop” stuff we were eager to hear, but I have since realised that he was also teaching us, planning, trust, comradeship, logistics, politics at the time, environmental conditions, looking out for your mates and others, and in doing so was developing and forming “Our Character” at the same time.
So “Nosey”, I have you down as being a very clever teacher and one who saw opportunities to impart “education” in whatever form, to those who needed it.
Roy Curtis - 1958 to '61
I have added Mr. "Nosey" Parker picture taken from the main 1960 School photograph.
Mike (Mick) Pusey - 1957 to '60
Mr. Parker was another interesting character from our days at the Tech. and one of the masters that we could have really good conversations with - and he would join in with such activities as arm-wrestling!!! Did he smoke a short, stubby pipe or is that my memory playing tricks?