Sad beginnings

Whilst I have blogged since being back at college, there has been one post that I have put off and found difficult to complete. I should have done it ages ago, but it has been too sad and too depressing, but as this blog is a record of what it is like to be a teacher as well as a record of what I get up to or am inspired by, it seemed wrong not to pay tribute to someone who I have often been in awe of. Martin Read was a colleague and a friend who taught at college for over 20 years, 15 of which I have known him, and worked alongside him, even collaborating one mad summer on an interesting trip to outer space in search of a dragon! His presence in the building that we as an art department shared with his music department was impressive, he filled a space like you wouldn't believe. On Sunday 9th September 2012 he very suddenly died. The void that he has left is immense and the loss that we feel as a body of staff is even bigger. At only 53 he had so much more to give, but blimey, at only 53 he had touched and brought music to so very many. Martin was a teacher that many of us can only dream of being, warm, supportive, kind, passionate, inspiring, energetic and most importantly, highly principled. I miss seeing him and bitching with him at the photocopier! I hate the fact that his friends and family have lost him and that there will be so many students who will never experience the magic that he possessed. A facebook page was set up the evening that we learned the news of his death and within hours the tributes had poured in, in their hundreds. As one individual said, "the world cannot afford to lose its Martin Reads", so true. His funeral was a staggering, for want of a better word, event. So many people of so many ages coming together to pay tribute to a man who had been a valuable addition to their lives, it was a humbling experience. They say that those who shine brightly shine for a shorter time, but in Martin's case, the enormous legacy that he has left behind will ensure that he continues to shine, even if he is no longer amongst us. Goodbye Martin X