The funeral is at Bramcote Crematorium, Wednesday 6th June 2007 at 2.45pm. His son-in-law has said that old pupils will be very welcome. From STEPHEN FORD: What a nice little man he was. I remember our first English lesson in 1A, he walked in (Room 5 - back corner of the hall) and wrote his surname on the board. Then he turned to invite suggestions as to pronunciation (Hoe, How, Hugh, Hoch etc.) before saying "No. Huff is my name". Like all of the teachers of that era, he was never "one of the boys" - but he wasn't starchy either. He always exuded self-possession and professionalism in teaching. You never had to gauge his mood - he didn't seem to have "off" days. I think we all respected him, because he deserved it.
From PHIL PAYNE: I never had him as an English teacher, but we met quite a few times. In those days the plays (Androcles and the Lion, Tobias and the Angel) were deputized to a junior member of the English department to test/improve their interactive skills, but he was never far away. As a member of the lighting team I spent a few hours reading other parts to cast members to reinforce their cues. I also remember him at sports days and similar, as a recorder of times, finishing positions, scores, etc. In my mind's eye I can see him sitting behind tables at many events.
Now the memory gets _really_ thin. ISTR I was in "Soar" house (as distinct from Derwent and Trent) and I also seem to remember he had an interest in that house. ISTR a discussion at the swimming gala down at the old Lido.
Well, respects were to be paid and were paid. Ex-pupils were represented.
I particulary liked the expression "quiet extrovert". I hadn't known that both his daughter and son-in-law were ex-pupils.
From PETA BARNS: I have good memories of Mr Hough as my English teacher early in my LEGS days and would concur with the other comments that he was always professional and well-mannered. One of my outstanding memories is of him walking to and from school through West Park. This was my route to school too. He usually had his umbrella with him. He put a poem I wrote into the school magazine one year. I wonder what happend to that? My sympathies to Judith who I remember transferring to us for sixth year.
From MICK BROWN: For the 28 of us who transferred to the school from Wilsthorpe in 1964 (the legendary 4WB) he was the first human presence we encountered - until our first English lesson, every member of staff exuded hostility or at best, indifference. He taught us English up to "O" level and we liked him. In fact we never played him up - a rare honour, and in stark contrast to the treatment we reserved for most other staff - Mr Setterfield in particular.
From JUDITH HOUGH: What a great website LEGS is, through it I have in the last few weeks heard from and met up with people I had not seen or heard of for many years, although the circumstances were rather sad. My family and I have been comforted by the kind words written about my father, who most of you knew as Mr Hough, but to us he was Dad or Grandad. He would have been delighted to read the messages and emails and known that his teaching had been appreciated and remembered even after all this time. Quite often when my husband and I were visiting him or he came to us he would tell us news of ex pupils he had bumped into, usually in West Park or in Long Eaton and that would lead onto conversations about the old days at the school. My husband Stuart Young was at the school from 1954 to 1959 and they could reminsce for hours, something Dad loved. Sadly over the years a lot of ex colleagues passed away, but he enjoyed going to various reunions, the last being October 2006 and like most of us was very saddened when the old school ceased to exist. Thanks once again to everyone, especially John Simpson, and now that I have discovered the LEGS website I look forward to being a regular user.
Judith Young nee Hough
From DAVID NEGUS: As far as I can remember Ron never taught me for English but he was the UVI form master during the two years that our 'express stream' 4A enjoyed the most privileged part of a privileged education from Sept.1964 to July 1966. We invited him back to our 40 year re-union in October 2006, and there are pictures and reflections in the post by John Lomas and myself about that occasion elsewhere on this site. The thing that most surprised me talking to him on that evening (since he was a fairly private man as a teacher and we knew much less about him than we did many of his colleagues) was when he said that he always thought of himself as a soldier more than a teacher. A less military man than 'Huffie' would be hard to imagine, but presumably having been orphaned and brought up by a series of Aunts (a fact gleaned from his self-published autobiography) he found the Army in WWII a kind of family substitute. The baby boomers among us, who probably comprise most of the regular visitors to this site, enjoyed LEGS in its halcyon days, and it was because the School was blessed with teachers such as Ron and his ilk that it was the wonderful place it was.
The funeral is at Bramcote Crematorium, Wednesday 6th June 2007 at 2.45pm. His son-in-law has said that old pupils will be very welcome.
From STEPHEN FORD: What a nice little man he was. I remember our first English lesson in 1A, he walked in (Room 5 - back corner of the hall) and wrote his surname on the board. Then he turned to invite suggestions as to pronunciation (Hoe, How, Hugh, Hoch etc.) before saying "No. Huff is my name". Like all of the teachers of that era, he was never "one of the boys" - but he wasn't starchy either. He always exuded self-possession and professionalism in teaching. You never had to gauge his mood - he didn't seem to have "off" days. I think we all respected him, because he deserved it.
From PHIL PAYNE: I never had him as an English teacher, but we met quite a few times. In those days the plays (Androcles and the Lion, Tobias and the Angel) were deputized to a junior member of the English department to test/improve their interactive skills, but he was never far away. As a member of the lighting team I spent a few hours reading other parts to cast members to reinforce their cues. I also remember him at sports days and similar, as a recorder of times, finishing positions, scores, etc. In my mind's eye I can see him sitting behind tables at many events.
Now the memory gets _really_ thin. ISTR I was in "Soar" house (as distinct from Derwent and Trent) and I also seem to remember he had an interest in that house. ISTR a discussion at the swimming gala down at the old Lido.
Well, respects were to be paid and were paid. Ex-pupils were represented.
I particulary liked the expression "quiet extrovert". I hadn't known that both his daughter and son-in-law were ex-pupils.
From PETA BARNS: I have good memories of Mr Hough as my English teacher early in my LEGS days and would concur with the other comments that he was always professional and well-mannered. One of my outstanding memories is of him walking to and from school through West Park. This was my route to school too. He usually had his umbrella with him. He put a poem I wrote into the school magazine one year. I wonder what happend to that?
My sympathies to Judith who I remember transferring to us for sixth year.
From MICK BROWN: For the 28 of us who transferred to the school from Wilsthorpe in 1964 (the legendary 4WB) he was the first human presence we encountered - until our first English lesson, every member of staff exuded hostility or at best, indifference. He taught us English up to "O" level and we liked him. In fact we never played him up - a rare honour, and in stark contrast to the treatment we reserved for most other staff - Mr Setterfield in particular.
From JUDITH HOUGH: What a great website LEGS is, through it I have in the last few weeks heard from and met up with people I had not seen or heard of for many years, although the circumstances were rather sad. My family and I have been comforted by the kind words written about my father, who most of you knew as Mr Hough, but to us he was Dad or Grandad. He would have been delighted to read the messages and emails and known that his teaching had been appreciated and remembered even after all this time. Quite often when my husband and I were visiting him or he came to us he would tell us news of ex pupils he had bumped into, usually in West Park or in Long Eaton and that would lead onto conversations about the old days at the school. My husband Stuart Young was at the school from 1954 to 1959 and they could reminsce for hours, something Dad loved. Sadly over the years a lot of ex colleagues passed away, but he enjoyed going to various reunions, the last being October 2006 and like most of us was very saddened when the old school ceased to exist.
Thanks once again to everyone, especially John Simpson, and now that I have discovered the LEGS website I look forward to being a regular user.
Judith Young nee Hough
From DAVID NEGUS: As far as I can remember Ron never taught me for English but he was the UVI form master during the two years that our 'express stream' 4A enjoyed the most privileged part of a privileged education from Sept.1964 to July 1966. We invited him back to our 40 year re-union in October 2006, and there are pictures and reflections in the post by John Lomas and myself about that occasion elsewhere on this site. The thing that most surprised me talking to him on that evening (since he was a fairly private man as a teacher and we knew much less about him than we did many of his colleagues) was when he said that he always thought of himself as a soldier more than a teacher. A less military man than 'Huffie' would be hard to imagine, but presumably having been orphaned and brought up by a series of Aunts (a fact gleaned from his self-published autobiography) he found the Army in WWII a kind of family substitute. The baby boomers among us, who probably comprise most of the regular visitors to this site, enjoyed LEGS in its halcyon days, and it was because the School was blessed with teachers such as Ron and his ilk that it was the wonderful place it was.