Before the days when 'Deputy Heads' became fashionable schools like ours had what was called the 'Second Master'. His role was never spelt out but, by observation, he seemed to us to walk around with a sheaf of papers and take morning assembly when the 'Beak' was absent!

F T Bentley in 1952

When I arrived at Aston (in 1950) Frank Bentley was Second Master. He had held the post since December 1936. He seemed very forbidding to me with his half-moon spectacles and spats! It was alleged that he was the Chemistry master, but I never saw him in the lab. Mind you, I wasn't allowed in there until at least the third form!

Frank retired in 1953 (when he was described as 'Deputy Headmaster') and the job went to 'Buggy' Mayers. We soon heard rumblings of discontent about this and learnt, as a result, that the appointment went by 'Buggin's turn'. What we picked up on was the fact that he had arrived at the school only shortly before Bert Hothersall - a much more popular and likeable figure - and had 'pipped him at the post' as a consequence.

Notwithstanding this Mayers it was. Fate soon intervened and Bill Mayers was called to meet his Maker. But not before he had undergone a St Paul like conversion and had started to live and breathe the school after years of marginal interest in the place.

So, in 1957, Bert Hothersall succeeded to a post which many had felt he should have had years earlier. He exercised the role with some diffidence but clearly with a sense and sensitivity which could only come from someone who was himself an AOE, joining the school as a pupil in 1909. He was still Second Master when I left in 1958.

Bert retired in 1963 and was succeeded by Stan Calvert until his retirement in 1976. Stan had been the last (but one? I think Watcyn Thomas was the last) of Joe Manton's appointees.

When I went to the school centenary celebrations in 1983 I learned that Derek Hobson (who had joined in 1955 during my time) was Second Master. When I congratulated him on this he explained (with what, as a pupil, I would have regarded as uncharacteristic modesty!) that it no longer had the same significance as in my day because now there were two deputy heads! One of the latter was a Mr Checkland, whom I did not know, the other Harold Jessop: one of the last teachers to join the staff before I left.

What has happened since Derek's retirement in 1984 I know not.

H H Higgs

I can remember my father telling me that, in his time (1918-23), Oliver Jones was Second Master. According to the memoirs of his younger brother Frank, he held the post from 1918-1929. Frank describes Oliver as being 'appointed' to the post, so maybe at that time the method of selection was different. Certainly by 1918 Frank had been a teacher at Aston longer than Oliver, who joined in 1902.

On Oliver's retirement H H Higgs became Second Master. The records state that he retired in 1929 so he couldn't have held the job for long. A 1952 article says that Frank Jones was Second Master, from 1930-36, and thus Frank Bentley's immediate predecessor. So the succession looks like this:

It is interesting to note that, twice during my lifetime, the Second Master has been the chemistry teacher.

Apart from my own recollections, and some guesswork, most of this information comes from 'A Centenary Celebration' (1983, 2nd edition 1998) - the excellent book by father and son Brian D and David Roberts, both AOEs - and Richard Bedwell (Aston 1995-2002).