Charlie Godden, Newlands High School

Does anyone remember a teacher called Charlie Godden? He taught English at Keresley Newlands High School, in the 60's and 70's, and also ran recorder clubs. He was housemaster of 'Malvern' House. Charlie was also very involved with the NUT. If anyone has any memories or knowledge about him, it would be great to know!

Hi Woodford, I have very fond memories of Charlie. We were members of The Wheatsheaf Players through the sixties. I don't know what he was like in school but socially he was one of the funniest people I've ever met, though he was very serious about his acting. I don't think he ever gave a bad performance but I remember two that were outstanding: Mr Pickwick in The Pickwick Papers; and Sir John Falstaff in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. One of the most vivid memories I have of Charlie was in 1962 when we were in a play together in the New Cathedral. During the first dress rehearsal we were all of us standing outside the glass doors taking a cigarette break when a group of vising clergy came round the corner and walked towards where we were standing. Charlie, who was telling a joke, had his back to them but the rest of us watched with a mixture of horror and hysteria as he reached the very, very rude punchline, roared with laughter and, sensing the shock waves coming from behind him, turned round and they saw that he was wearing a dog collar. Charlie was devoted to his wife, Lavinia, though the two of them were like chalk and cheese. He was absolutely hopeless at anything practical, so she did all of the decorating and repairs around the house, but they were a great couple and Charlie was shattered by her death. I lost touch with Charlie in the mid-eighties when we moved up to Cumbria, and I regret it - he was funny, outrageous, honest and very decent; I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. He was a true gent.

Hi Greenman What interesting and funny memories! I've found out from an article online that Charlie died in 2004. He was living in Germany - apparently he had lived there for a long time after his wife died - he been teaching on summer camps there. I have lots of memories of him, but as I was a kid it was as my English teacher and teaching me the recorder. I sometimes saw him, later on, when visiting some mutual friends in Keresley. I was talking to my brother about him the other day. He remembers Charlie's son, who was in the same class at school as him. Thanks for sharing.