Phil Cue BY CHRIS OTTEWILL
Phil joined Dulwich College in 1997, having previously been a teacher of Biology at St Augustine’s High School in Kilburn and chief chunker in a Brazilian pineapple factory. The technicians remember a particularly professional-looking candidate with a briefcase and
umbrella, although it turned out the case was empty apart from a packet of cigarettes and the umbrella was only brought because Phil thought it was the right thing for Dulwich College. He was interviewed alongside Sarah Wood and, although there was only one teaching post available, there was reportedly so little to choose between the two of them that both were offered a position, eventually racking up over half a century of teaching at the College between them. It was evident from the start that Phil had an enormous range of knowledge of all things biological, with a particularly deep knowledge of marine life and birds along with an in-depth knowledge of the reproductive peculiarities of many species. Colleagues report that in any discussion with Phil one knew that one would both learn something and be entertained, with Phil often inspired by an evangelical admiration of Richard Dawkins. Phil was also asked to teach GCSE Chemistry in the early days, though he remembers that he never got used to the practicals and notes that he still becomes nervous at the mention of volatile acids. After eight years of teaching the subject, Phil took over as Head of Biology in 2005. He was known for building up an impressive array of wildlife in the labs: parrots, snakes and spiders, particularly tarantulas, along with the ever- popular chameleons. Phil would give names to all of these animals, proudly putting them on display in the Lower Hall in Bio weeks. This range of live creatures is reported to have cured at least one member of the department of a fear of spiders, although there were also several searches for lost snakes, one being found by a site officer wrapped around a door handle and several never having been found, presumably still living somewhere in the Science Block.
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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