LESLIE  BIRCUMSHAW

Leslie Bircumshaw was born and brought up in the Nottingham area.  He attended the Henry Mellish School in the city, leaving in 1945.  His National Service was spent in the Intelligence Corps with posting to Vienna and Berlin.  It was here that he was attracted to studying the German language.

In 1948 Leslie took up his place at Brasenose College, Oxford to read French and then to obtain his teaching qualifications. He taught at Dover College and at Merchiston in Scotland, both for  six years, before his appointment to Kent College in 1965 to take charge of the German Department.  Leslie remained on the Kent College staff for the following 34 years teaching part-time after his official retirement.

Leslie had great academic success.  Many of his pupils were destined to become Oxbridge scholars and he was instrumental in setting up an exchange scheme for German students.  He was taking conversation classes until shortly before his death, such was his enthusiasm for the subject and the school.

Throughout his life Leslie was a keen sportsman: at Oxford he came close to winning blues at both soccer and cricket.  He also played for the Kent 2^nd XI during his time at Dover.  His talents were not wasted at Kent College where he coached cricket and played regularly for the staff side.  It was said that he was one of the most stylish batsmen to grace the Kent College fields.