Jimmy Driscoll

It's impossible to separate my memories of Jimmy Driscoll - who died at the advanced age of 97 on 9 Moy 2019 - as a Bangor Grammar School teacher and as a Waverley Drive neighbour. Our home was next door but one to the Driscolls from 1963, when I was six, until I swapped life in Bangor for work in Newcastle in 1976.

Son Peter, who shared classes and a strong friendship with me from P2 at Connor House to Middle Sixth at BGS, spoke at the funeral service in Bangor Abbey (on 9 May) of his father's obvious discomfort over addressing him by his surname in school.

It was very much the some with me - I hove no memories of Jimmy ever calling me 'Bowman'. In on era when your closest neighbours
merited honorary relative status, to my younger version Peter's parents were always Auntie Pot and Uncle Jimmy and their home
was simply on extension of ours.

Paying a more school-related tribute to a teacher, neighbour and friend I hod known for well over 50 years - from early childhood to A-Level Latin classes at BGS and, more recently, seeking, and receiving, his help for a local history book I was writing - would have been difficult but for the fact that Jimmy set out his career 'CV' for Peter some years ago. Typical of the man's innate modesty, it
covered a single sheet of paper and even then his neat handwritten lines were well spaced out.

Born in Lorne on 27 November 1921, Jimmy lived at Whitehead for a short time before moving to Belfast He attended Cabin Hill and Campbell College, where he represented the school at cricket and hockey He gained a scholarship to Trinity College Dublin, where
he graduated in Classics. He represented the university at golf and played at St Andrews, also winning the Inter-Varsity Cup during his
time at Trinity With a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education under his belt he commenced his teaching career at Wallasey Grammar School, Liverpool (1946/47), returning to Northern Ireland and a position at Ballymena Academy (1947/53} He was appointed Bangor Grammar School's Head of Classics in 1953, remaining there until his retirement in 1985. He hod married Pot in 1954 and they hod
two children, Peter and Jill.

Golf was always Jimmy's main interest He was Ulster Cup standard and served as Captain of Bangor Golf Club in 1982. Jimmy was also a
member and post master of Redcliffe Masonic Lodge and a member of Ballyholme Probus Club.

I might add that in my time at BGS Jimmy also took charge of the school's more junior representative cricket teams and inclusion of my name on the Saturday morning team sheet was all but outomotic It wasn't nepotism - he roted me highly as a scorer, a 'clerical' role which come with 12th man status (and a chance to ploy if one of the better players took ill or missed the bus or train to on away matchl}

A very popular man with many friends, Jimmy was also widely acclaimed by post pupils for his teaching abilities. He was, as Peter remarked at the service, a true gentleman and a true scholar Jimmy's wife Pot, who predeceased him Just 16 days earlier (23 April 2019), had her own strong connection to the School, often serving as a substitute teacher at Connor House, most memorably in 1965 when she featured in the panoramic photograph in place of Mrs Joy Peden.

My sympathy, and that of Bangor Grammarians, goes to son Peter, daughter Jill, also grandchildren Shelley, Jamie, Becky, Jemma and
James, on their sad losses.

TERENCE BOWMAN