Art Teacher

In about 1975 we had a new male art teacher, who established a dark room in Mercury House and taught us all how to load film and develop B&W film and print from our negatives in the darkroom. He was really inspirational in my career, but I can't remember his name. A bit of a heart throb with the girls as well ! I also think he was a practicing Airbrush artist too. Kevin Tobin-Dougan

Hi Kevin, welcome to the forum I hope that someone can help you with the name. Helen

Hi Kevin, Was Mercury House an art school in itself, or was it a "house" within the house system in a senior school? I also hope that someone will be able to help you.

It was a House, we had Mercury, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, from dodgy memory, but this art teacher, who was inspiring, built the darkroom in Mercury house building. He got funding for Praktica cameras for us and out art lessons consisted of travelling around Cov taking pics, and then processing and printing them, with his training. It was that start and basis which helped my eventual professional photographic career and now I am embarking on a full length feature film in Ireland, as Screenwriter and Director. None of this would have been at all possible without his incredible creative foresight and support. Kevin Tobin-Dougan (Toby)

What was the name of the school?

Foxford Comprehensive, 1974-75

Just to say I've dredged my memory banks and remembered the name of that Inspirational Art Teacher; Keith Appleby. He is still a practising artist, producing stunning and beautiful wooden artworks, have a look. I have contacted him and thanked him for his help and inspiration all of those years ago, which helped me to get to where I am today. http://www.keithappleby-digitalgallery.com/

What beautiful wood sculptures, so creative! Like you say, Toby, stunning.

I seem to remember a Keith Appleby as a pupil at Bablake School in the late 1960s. He was very good at Art - I wonder if it is one and the same?