Dennis Grimsley

Dennis Grimsley belongs to one of the small number of staff whose association with Burton Grammar School started as a pupil before later returning to the teaching staff.

Dennis was a pupil from 1942 to 1950. He enjoyed good success, being a prefect in 1948/9 before going on to become Head Boy.

Aside from school colours for Rugby, Cricket and Cross Country, Dennis played for Derbyshire Schools Under 19′s Rugby XV in 1948/49 and was team captain 1949/50. He was also winner of the S.J.Ife Memorial cup in 1950 for ‘Best all round sportsman’. In the same year, he also became Captain of Drake Champion in a year when Drake were crowned House Champions.

Dennis gained a place at Nottingham University. He gained a 2nd Class Honours Degree in Chemistry in 1953 and a Certificate in Education 1954 when he was also appointed Chairman of the Education Department.

Soon after qualifying, Dennis served his National Service Commission from 1954 to 56 with the Royal Air Force. He married in 1956, just prior to demobilisation.

His first teaching post was back at his own Burton Grammar School in 1956 as assistant chemistry master to Norman Jones. He was appointed President of the Old Boy’s Association for 1960/61.

In 1961, Dennis left Burton Grammar School to take up the post of Head of Chemistry at Brunts Grammar School, Mansfield, where he remained until 1970. Following this, he took the post of Deputy Headmaster at Biddulph Grammar School and was ‘Acting Headmaster’ during 1974 until, as part of a reorganisation, he was appointed Headmaster of Blythe Bridge High School. He remained here until 1988.

He was President of Biddulph Rotary Club 1978 – 79 and was appointed a magistrate in 1981 which he served until 2002.

GrimsleyAt various times, Dennis has been ‘Chairman of Probation Liaison Committee’; was ‘Chairman of Youth Panel of Leek’, then Staffordshire Moorlands and North Staffordshire. When this joined with Stoke-on-Trent, he became ‘Vice-Chairman of combined new North Staffordshire Youth Panel’.

GrimsleyDennis was appointed a ‘General Commissioner of Income Tax’ in 1993 and became ‘Chairman of the Leek Tax Commissioners’ in 2003, a post he held until his retirement in 2007.

…. to be continued …


 

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