he’d see them later, and then turned up at the end of period 1 to find them leaving. When asked what lesson they’d just had, they answered ‘Psychology’, and on Phil enquiring who the teacher was, assuming it was the other teacher, they answered, ‘you, sir’. Being asked why they’d waited the whole period and hadn’t come to find him when they’d seen him earlier, they replied, ‘we thought you were conducting a psychology experiment on us – weren’t you?’ It is not just the biologist, psychologist and superb teacher whom Dulwich will miss, however. All colleagues to whom I spoke commented on the deep sense of camaraderie that they had with Phil, citing him being an inspiration and support to those new to the profession, as well as someone willing to fight a corner when needed, or simply to offer sage advice. He will be remembered for injecting a huge sense of fun and humour into the Science Depart- ment and Common Room, with his quick and self-dep- recating wit. The technicians say that they will greatly miss Phil’s visits, whether he has popped in to chat or to bring in repairs. Phil will also be missed greatly by many members of the Mathematics Department, often being considered an honorary member of the department due to his ability at prime factorisation, as well as socialising, over the years. Phil retires to ‘the barn’ in Sussex, along with his partner and exotic animals: no cats or dogs, but a growing collection of reptiles, fish and birds. We wish Phil all the very best, whether building his aviary or just relaxing and remembering his days of teaching. We hope that there will be many invitations to come to see him, as well as plenty of return visits to join his colleagues and friends in London. ◉
Over the years Phil organised many overseas trips, including early World Challenge trips to Guyana, Kenya/ Tanzania, Borneo and Brazil. Described by Phil as a safeguarding nightmare, the trips involved coping with helicopter casualty evacuations, abandoned donkeys, and hospitalisations due to bird flu, although colleagues maintain that despite constant moaning, Phil secretly enjoyed the back-to-basics lifestyle and spirit of the trips. Further trips followed, perhaps slightly more luxurious but no less exotic, taking in Madagascar, Indonesia, Ecuador and most recently the Galapagos Islands, with Phil reportedly lighting up enthusiastically in the presence of lemurs, chameleons, Komodo dragons, and marine iguanas, among others. With characteristic modesty, Phil says that he is most proud of the staff that he appointed during his time as Head of Department, his aim being not just to find great teachers but to create a happy team, the latter being confirmed by a very low turnover of staff over his 14 years in the post. In 2019 Phil decided to make a sideways move, intro- ducing Psychology as an A level at the College and becoming Head of Department, having bravely taken the A-level examination himself in the summer before alongside students, gaining an A*. The subject is now established firmly among the A-level options with two groups taking the subject each year, all students being taught by Phil in tandem with another teacher. Teaching Psychology clearly brought a fresh challenge and per- spective to teaching, illustrated by a time when Phil misread his timetable, thinking he was teaching a group period 2 rather than 1. He had walked past the group at the start of period 1, waving through the door indicating
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