Today Egglescliffe School and the community lost an inspirational teacher. Tony Gears who led and inspired the drama in the school for many years died. When our eldest daughter was a young pupil in the school he produced an amazing show - Johnny Faustus. Children who were never going to consider themselves as actors were inspired to join the cast and give of their best. The result was a show as professional as many that grace the stages of theatres in the region. All through our contact with the school his name kept cropping up - producing shows, encouraging bands, recording a song for charity, the list could go on. He will be missed, deeply, by the school and the wider community as well as by his family. But he'll also live on in the confidence which so many young people have as a result of being encouraged to take part, in the memories so many parents and ex-pupils have and in the careers of those youngsters who were encouraged to follow their dream.
RIP.