I left for Canada in 1957 after two years as Handicraft Teacher at Bablake and Seaborne, with two caveats, gave me a reference. Firstly, no one could be adequately judged as a teacher under his command until he had served at least 10 years. And secondly, handicraft teachers were hard to come by. For nothing other than historical reasons and to show that Seaborne had his soft side, here is my reference.

Much of the remodelling he refers to consisted of individual tool boxes made from discarded, old oak desks that were piled up outside the tuck shop. Seaborne was doubly pleased because they cost nothing and cut to zero the number of stolen tools . See below some of what he refers to as my craftsmanship plus a view of me and the handicraft room. In spite of his kind comments a personal book of mine which I had bound myself by hand as a college project, was vandalized with a razor blade. I suppose even then, we had what Seaborne refered to as "educated louts".

Seaborne's strictness and rigidity placed him under stress that eventually led to a nervous breakdown but I gained his confidence when he came often to the woodwork room after school where he was unobserved. My relaxed relationship with him extended to my being allowed to put my hands in my pockets when in his presence, even during his customary morning office audience. He liked turning wooden bowls, perhaps as a form of therapy. One of the bowls in a group photographed by him ascribed to pupils was in fact his.

Later, as a school principal in Canada, I remembered his having told me,"Give me ten good teachers and a barn and I'll give you a good school".

He had his priorities right.