John Thacker 1920-1996

Headmaster.  'His quiet, gentlemanly manner [is] effective with all classes.'

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Facts

Date   Event   Source
3 Nov 1920   John Thacker was born at 83 Uppingham Rd, Leicester. He was the second of three children of William Ernest Thacker, shoe findings manufacturer, and Mary Hannah Thacker, formerly Bates.   Birth certificate - John Thacker

John Thacker
19 Jan 1921   2 months 16 days after birth, he was baptised at St Barnabas Parish Church, Leicester.   Baptism certificate - John Thacker
12 May 1922   When he was still 1 year old, his father was declared bankrupt.   Leicester Daily Mercury
1920s and 1930s   His mother didn't leave the house for the next 20 years. The children did the shopping.   Doreen Angrave
1920s   His father continued working on inventions.   Patent applied for, 25 Sep 1923
1920s   To save on toothpaste, the children cleaned their teeth using soot from the chimney.   John Thacker
1926-7   He attended a private school in St Peter's Road with his elder sister, Mary. She later remembered taking the tram to the Evington cinema, then walking to St Peter's Church each day. His 1927 school report from Sutherland College, Kindergarten, 61 Sparkenhoe St ('conduct : very good') was from this school.   Mary Thacker


School report - Sutherland College
11 Jul 1929   When he was 8, his grandfather, Alfred Bates, who was living with the family at 83 Uppingham Rd, died of heart failure, aged 73.   Death certificate - Alfred Bates
1927-31   He attended St Barnabas Church School. 'John has suffered through absence... Composition and oral subjects are very good indeed.'   School report - St Barnabas Church School
Jun 1932   At 11, he passed the General Examination (precursor of the 11+), winning 'the opportunity of a place at a Secondary school'. However, taking up this opportunity would entail his parents undertaking that he would continue at school until he was 16. As they wanted him to start earning a living, he was sent instead to Moat Road Intermediate Boys' School, which he could leave after two more years. His formal education therefore ended when he was 13.   Letter to parents from City of Leicester Education Committee.


Doreen Angrave
Jul 1933   At the age of 12, he was awarded the form prize 'for an excellent essay on Nicholas Nickleby'.   Bookplate
Sep 1933   He was awarded a prize by Leicester Drama Society for an essay in criticism of their production of The Merchant of Venice in a competition open to all schools.   Bookplate
Jan 1934   He received another essay prize, this one awarded by the RSPCA.   Bookplate
Dec 1934   His form master's comments on his last school report were: 'A quiet, intelligent reliable boy whose language work is really brilliant. Has the right attitude to work and should make a real success of later life.' The Headmaster's comment was 'An outstanding boy.'   School report - Moat Road School
1935   On leaving school at 14, his first job was errand boy at Rose's bookshop.   Doreen Angrave
1936-1938   He worked at Pochin's, a hardware and ironmonger's, as shop assistant and window dresser. His later short story 'Death of a Shop' drew on his experiences here.   John Thacker
1938   He was sacked from Pochin's for arriving late after the lunch break (his mother never had the dinner ready on time).   Doreen Angrave
1939   He worked in a shoe shop in Granby St, Leicester. If you let a customer escape, the under manager would scuttle out from his glass box to quiz you: 'Did you try him with a number 54, Mister?'   John Thacker
1940-1945   During the War, from the age of 19, he was stationed at Compton Bassett, Staffs, with the RAF. His job was to teach men Morse code. He rose to the rank of sergeant. He spent the whole war in England: he got as far as boarding a plane on one occasion, but the expedition was cancelled at the last minute and the plane didn't take off.   John Thacker
1945-1947   After the war, he returned to the shoe shop and holidays with his parents - not exciting after the freedom of the last 5 years.   John Thacker
Jan 1947   He played Harry in The Family Reunion for Vaughan College.   Theatre programme
Jun 1947   He met his future wife, Doreen Angrave, during a Vaughan Players production of Much Ado About Nothing.   Doreen Angrave; theatre programme
9 Oct 1947   He appeared in 2 short plays How he Lied to her Husband and X=0 for the Vaughan Players at Kirby Muxloe.   Theatre programme
29 Oct 1947   He played Face in The Alchemist for Vaughan Players.   Theatre programme
5 Dec 1947   He appeared in How he Lied to her Husband (same production, this time at Vaughan College). 'John Thacker outstanding' (Leicester Mercury).   Theatre programme
Undated cutting
Feb 1948-Mar 1949   At the age of 27, he decided to 'go respectable', as he put it, and successfully applied to attend Nelson Hall Teacher Training College, Staffordshire. His main subjects were English and history. At the end of the course, the College Principal wrote: 'His lessons are well prepared, his powers of narrative good and his quiet gentlemanly manner effective with all classes. He is definitely capable of taking charge of a class... He is outstanding in dramatic activities - an excellent producer and a capable actor. Mr Thacker has a pleasant disposition and is a man of sound and reliable character.'   John Thacker


College testimonial
1948   He appeared in the Nelson Hall productions of King Lear (as Kent) and in The Man of Destiny.   Theatre programmes
1948   He produced How he Lied to her Husband for Nelson Hall Training College Drama Society.   Theatre programme

  He appeared in Vanity Fair (Little Theatre).   Theatre programme
4 Mar 1949   He proposed to his future wife on her birthday, on a visit to Stratford-upon-Avon.   Doreen Angrave
9 Mar 1949   He was awarded his teaching certificate from Nelson Hall.   Department of Education letter
1949   He appeared as Essex in Portrait of a Queen (Little Theatre).   Production photographs
18 May 1949   He played Dolabella in All For Love produced by Philip Collins for Vaughan Players. (Collins was a lecturer at Vaughan College and later professor of English at Leicester University. Two other actors in this production were Colin Wilson and David Campton, both later successful writers.)   Theatre programme
1949-1952   His first teaching job was at Westfield Secondary Modern Boys' School.   Doreen Angrave
20 Aug 1949   At the age of 28, he married Doreen Angrave (20), an optician's receptionist, at Wesley Hall Methodist Chapel, Mere Road, Leicester. The witnesses were G. Angrave and W.E.Thacker, fathers of the bride and groom.   Wedding certificate
1949-1950   His first married address was 232 Tudor Road, Leicester, which had a kitchen sink, but no bathroom - if they wanted a bath, they had to go round to their parents'.   Doreen Angrave
Jun 1950   He played Ferdinand in Vaughan Players' production of The Tempest (Producer Philip Collins; 'A Spirit' played by John Orton = Joe Orton, later a successful playwright).   Theatre programme
1950-1956   His address was 11 Rotherby Avenue, Leicester.   Birth certificates - his children
1950s   He was 5'10" tall, with a slim build and dark hair.   David Thacker
1950   He produced the comic scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream with the boys of Hinckley Westfield School.   Production photographs
11 Feb 1950   He appeared in Murder in the Cathedral - staged in Leicester Cathedral.   Theatre programme
1950   He appeared in Agamemnon (Vaughan College). 'A holiday for the elocutors, with John Thacker, in a tiny part, way ahead of the rest for directness and clarity of speech'.   Leicester Mercury - undated cutting
1950   He produced(?) The Late Christopher Bean at Abbot's Road Congregational Church   Production photographs
3-6 Oct 1951   He produced Candida for Vaughan Players. 'Intelligent, forceful and thoroughly entertaining'.   Theatre programme; Leicester Mercury cutting
1952   He appeared as Romeo in Leicester Drama Society production of Romeo and Juliet. 'Mr Thacker seems to me all too sensible a Romeo. I cannot imagine him riding post-haste from Mantua to meet his destiny beside his love'.   Leicester Mercury - undated cutting
1952   He produced Macbeth for the Vaughan Players. 'The presentation has vigour, is well edited, intelligently spoken and establishes its moods by lighting that is often eloquent.'   Leicester Mercury - undated cutting
2 Jul 1952   He appeared as Dr Bartolo in The Barber of Seville (Beaumarchais) for Vaughan Players.   Theatre programme
1952-1956   He owned an Austen 7, DLL 701, which had difficulty getting up hills. On one occasion, half way up Wardley Hill, Leics, it was overtaken by a cyclist, who called out 'Want a push, mate?'. Later, you could watch the tarmac going by under the passenger seat where the floor had rusted away.   Doreen Angrave

David Thacker
1952-1957   He was a teacher at Thurnby C of E Junior and Infant School.   Staff photograph; Doreen Angrave
Mar 1953   He adjudicated the North Midland YMCA Drama Festival.   Theatre programme
Abt 1953   He produced Nightmare Abbey for Leicester Drama Society.   Theatre programme
Sep 1953   He produced The Miser for Leicester Drama Society with David Campton as Harpagon.   Theatre programme
1954-1956   His Evening Institute Drama Class won a shield in the Leicestershire Youth Drama Festival.   Certificate
14 Jun 1954   He produced Juno and the Paycock for the Leicester Drama Society at the Little Theatre   Theatre programme
22 Nov 1955   His father died of chronic bronchitis at 83, Uppingham Road   Death certificate - W E Thacker
1956-1960   He owned a Ford Anglia (JJF 910).   David Thacker
1956   'Mr Thacker is a man of excellent bearing and presence; he has a sense of humour, and a well-stocked and well organised mind.'   Testimonial by Philip Collins
30 Jan 1957   He played Lord Peter Wimsey in Busman's Honeymoon for Vaughan Players, which involved a good deal of practice at wearing a monocle.   Theatre programme; David Thacker
1957-1960   The family moved to a newly-built house on Uppingham Rd [about 2 miles from 83 Uppingham Rd] called 'Avon' (after Stratford-upon-Avon).   Doreen Angrave
Abt 1958   He produced The Merchant of Venice for the Leicester Drama Society, using a revolving stage.   Doreen Angrave
1958   He was appointed Headmaster of Kirby Muxloe County Primary School. The Leicester Mercury reported: 'Drama Man for Kirby.' The number on roll at the school in January 1959 was 152.   Leicester Mercury - undated cutting
Headmaster's report.
Jul 1960   He was awarded a Diploma in Education by Leicester University.   Certificate
From 1960   The family moved to Kirby Muxloe - 'Hillside', 7 Station Rd.   Doreen Angrave
1966+   He bought a cello and learnt to play it.   Doreen Angrave
20 Feb 1969   His mother died at 36 Colchester Road (her daughter Mary's house).   Death certificate - M H Thacker
1968   Caroline Thacker, the widow of his Uncle Jack, died, resulting in an inheritance of £8.5s.0d, being a third of one sixth of the Louisa Thacker Trust Fund*, ie the share of Uncle Jack's part that was invested by the trustees.
* See Will of Louisa Thacker		   Solicitor's letters
1980   He took early retirement.   Doreen Angrave
1990   His book Edwin Drood: Antichrist in the Cathedral (q.v.) was published by Vision Press.   Book
7 Apr 1996   (Easter Day) He died in Leicester Royal Infirmary of heart failure brought on by haemochromatosis.   Death certificate - John Thacker
12 Apr 1996   He was buried in Kirby Muxloe cemetery.

   Headstone