Max Williams and Alan B Johnson recall Blaydon's fourth head.

Educated at Gateshead Grammar School and Armstrong College, Newcastle (now Newcastle University) Henry Nattress began his teaching career at Rose Street Elementary School, Gateshead just before World War Ii began.  Within a shirt while he moved to Blaydon Secondary School (1940), an appointment he held until 1960, interrupted by service as an officer in the RAF (meteorological branch) from 1941 to 1945.  At the end of the war he resumed his teaching in Blaydon, now a Grammar School.  1960 saw him take up the post of Headmaster at Dunston Hill modern school, where he remained until 1966.  He returned to Blaydon as Headmaster in that year and held that post until his retirement in 1974.

 A pupil’s view 

Memories of Mr Nattress are numerous and varied.  Some will recall that stocky figure bouncing into the classroom bursting with enthusiasm.  One was deep in the fruit growing of California before you could lift the desk lid.  Soon we realised that here was a teacher to whom time was precious, none of which to be wasted.  His three dimensional chalk and board diagrams became an art-form, taught by him at his old University and practised by many Geography teachers, far and wide.  Perhaps we did not always absorb the knowledge he gave us at the same rate at which he passed it on, but everyone respected his obvious love for his subject and more importantly his desire to teach it. 

Then there were the Saturday bike rides, when he shared his love of the countryside.  Never did he allow his sheer enjoyment of the outdoor exercise to cloud his observation of a glacial erratic, moraine, ox-bow lake or tree line, though few of us had bikes with three gears at the time, never mind the eighteen of the present day.

After retirement Henry continued his interest in gardening, Lepidoptera, search for knowledge, social communication and desire to teach.  Much of his time he devoted to his granddaughters, even sharing in their schools’ adventure holidays.  His three dimensional drawings he used to assist members of the National Farmers Union in their understanding of land forms and land use.  He was a preacher and biblical scholar throughout his adult life and several pupils were led to a deeper spiritual awareness because “Henry was Henry!”.