Clifford was one of nature’s gentlemen (From Worcester News)

Clifford was one of nature’s gentlemen

7:20pm Wednesday 29th October 2008

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CLIFFORD Lancaster, a leading figure in education in Worcestershire during the 1960s and 70s, has died at the age of 88.

He was the first headmaster of the Chantry High School at Martley, near Worcester, and later became senior schools inspector for the combined county of Hereford and Worcester.

Mr Lancaster moved to Worcestershire from Manchester in 1955 to join the staff of Four Pools Secondary School, Evesham, where he was head of maths, before moving to Droitwich County Secondary School as senior master.

In 1962 he was appointed founder headmaster of what was then Chantry Secondary School, leading the school through to its official opening the following year.

Philip Clayton, one of his successors as head teacher at the Chantry, said: “Clifford Lancaster did a lot of the work to set the foundations and the high standards the school has maintained ever since. He was one of nature’s gentlemen.”

In 1972 Mr Lancaster left the Chantry to take up a post with the Schools Inspectorate, becoming senior schools inspector for the newly-created combined county of Hereford and Worcester, retiring at the age of 60, in 1980.

In his early years he was a good cricketer, playing for Baildon Green in the Yorkshire League and when he moved to Worcestershire he kept wicket for many seasons for Worcester Dominies, a team of local schoolteachers. However, in later life, he suffered from an eye disease and for the last nine years of his life he was registered blind.

Mr Lancaster was very active outside his professional life. He was chairman of the Worcester branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, chairman of the Macular Society for the partially-sighted and a member of the Royal National Institute for the Blind. For 40 years he was a member of Worcester Golf and Country Club. He was also a member of Probus, and a keen follower of Worcestershire County Cricket Club.

Mr Lancaster lived for many years in Church Lane, Lower Broadheath, near Worcester. A widower, he died in his apartment at Holme Nash House, St George’s Lane, Worcester, and is survived by his son David and family.

A funeral service will be held at Worcester Crematorium at 11am tomorrow.

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