David Goodison devoted very nearly all of his working life, and much of his retirement, to Cheadle Hulme School.
David joined the School as a ten year old in 1936, when TTR Lockhart was Headmaster, and he excelled academically. He was a keen scout, an organisation to which he was totally committed. He won an Exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read Chemistry. After graduation he worked for a short time at the Shirley Institute in Didsbury before returning to CHS as a Chemistry Master in 1948.
In due course and whilst working alongside the much admired Arthur Ellis and David Wilcox, David became Head of the Junior School, and he continued his love of scouting by leading both cubs and scout groups. His estate car could often be seen packed to the roof with camping equipment and enthusiastic boys waiting to go for an overnight expedition.
It was David’s love of the School that led him to keep and treasure huge amounts of memorabilia, and he painstakingly began the mammoth task of establishing a formal school archive. It seems fitting, therefore, that the last public speech that he delivered was at the opening of the David Goodison Archive Room in November 2006.
David was passionate about the Foundation Scheme and the Boarding House, and I think one of the great sadnesses of his School life was the closure of the Boarding House. He was a great friend to many of the boarders who had no relatives in this country, and who couldn’t necessarily go home at half term.
David was a “gentle-man” who never felt the need to flex his muscles; and an academic who was disinclined to publicise his ability. His quiet humility and patience gave him great approachability, and his compassion and caring nature made him a real asset to his chosen vocation. He is a key figure in the history of Cheadle Hulme School.
An excerpt from the 2011 issue of The Old Waconian.
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