Mr. G. D. Cast
George Dale Cast was born in 1902. He was educated at the Strand School, Brixton, and University College, London, where he received a B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1925. He came to Harrow County in 1928, where he taught Science until 1948. He died in 1980.
Brian Hester writes: "He was the teacher of chemistry at sixth form level and did well by the record of scholastic achievement. He left at the end of the 46-7 school year. I can see how Cast would get Square's (Dr. Simpson, the headmaster - ed.) bristles irritated as Cast's favorite tie was bright red with a speckled hammers and sickles motif! Cast got himself a job teaching at St. Mark's teacher training college.
I am not sure whether Cast really was a communist or whether he simply wore the hammers and sickle tie for effect. When it became known that he was going to teach at St. Marks, a wit suggested Cast had been confused by the spelling. One of his teaching ploys was to claim chemistry was really very easy. All you had to do was learn the features of the periodic table and everything else could be derived by reasoning. He claimed to be able to write this table on the back of a postage stamp. Hence all chemistry could be written on the back of a stamp! He never offered to demonstrate this skill to us. Early in his time at the school I believe he taught music for a while. Rather than give lines as punishment, he would dictate an incredibly long and complex sentence which the offending boy was then required to write out thirty or more times."
Mike Smith writes: I remember the red tie but not
the hammers and sickles. I don't think he was a genuine communist. He wore the
tie for effect. He bought furniture and pictures in junk shops and sold them at
a considerable profit. At least one went to the Birmingham Art
Gallery.
From Gaytonian, December 1948:
"The School's deep thanks and best wishes to ... Mr. G. D. Cast, B.Sc., after twenty years' conspicuously successful service..."
We say goodbye... Mr. Cast, Lecturer in Chemistry, College of St. Mark and St. John, Chelsea.
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