Nick Wilson – Head of Wells Cathedral Junior School 1995 - 2010

25.10.1953- 17.06.2026

Nick was born on 25th October, 1953, near Urmston in Lancashire. His father, Francis, a vicar, and mother Margaret, lived in a vicarage in Carrington, along with Jonathan, his older brother. When he was seven, the family moved to the rural parish of Sutton-on-the-Forest in North Yorkshire.

He had a good voice, singing many solos in the church choir, and at the age of ten auditioned to be a chorister at York Minster, but unfortunately it was not to be. In future years however it gave him empathy with other young chorister hopefuls.

In his early years he suffered from asthma, but with the move to a more rural area and the introduction of inhalers, sport became a passion, especially tennis and hockey, and he went on to play hockey for the first teams at Durham and Sheffield Universities, and later for York.

After university he volunteered to do VSO in Nigeria for two years, teaching at a remote secondary school of five hundred pupils and only eleven staff, near the then small settlement of Jalingo. As well as academic teaching he was responsible for sport and organising fixtures with other schools and colleges sometimes over a hundred miles away, where travel was along rough dirt roads in the back of an open truck, with teams arriving tired, battered and covered in red dust, but still keen for a win. Communication with the U.K. was by airmail letter only. In the school holidays he took every opportunity to travel to the neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Benin, Togo and Ghana, travelling alone on a motorbike, meeting up with other VSOs as and when the opportunity arose, and coping with the unexpected adventures and problems that this form of travel in remote areas presented. These experiences undoubtedly gave him self-confidence, inner strength and resilience that he carried forward with him in later life.

On his return to York in 1977 he took up a year's temporary post, covering a member of staff's ill health, teaching A level Geography at St Peter's School, and was then invited to stay on at St Olaves, the Junior School, teaching Geography, English and Games.

After marrying Jane, and when Clare was just nine months old, he became the Housemaster of Wentworth House, a boarding house of 36 boys, aged between eight and thirteen, where the house was run on family lines, with no separate living quarters, and where they were later joined by their son David.

In 1988 the family moved to Hertfordshire when he became the Head of the then Berkhamsted Preparatory School, where he taught for seven years before taking up the position of the Head of Wells Cathedral Junior School in 1995. Nick and Jane found it a warm and welcoming school, with a keen, enthusiastic and adaptable staff who ably coped with the children's specialist music lessons and chorister duties fitting in with the daily routine. It was a dream job for him, with Drama, Art and Sport being strong, as well as high academic standards, the amazingly talented young specialist musicians and the chorister and Cathedral connection. He wanted the pupils to have as many different experiences and opportunities as possible, and, as well as full days of lessons, the termly timetable was full of concerts, sports fixtures, exhibitions, drama productions, chorister services and recordings, adventure holidays, and trips with 50 children to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe.

After fifteen years Nick chose to retire early while still able to fulfil his role to his high standards, and in 1995 he and Jane moved to Wookey.

In retirement he was invited to be a governor of Colston's School (now the Collegiate School) in Bristol, was a Trustee of the Wells Cathedral Chorister Trust, and the City of Wells Almshouses, as well as Secretary for the Seniors at Wells Golf Club. There was plenty of time to play golf and tennis, to enjoy time with his family, gardening, DIY, and to travel widely.

Jane, Clare and David would like to sincerely thank so many staff, parents and pupils for their condolence letters and kindness, which have been greatly appreciated.