One of the role models and heroes in my early life was a man called Francis Loftus, having been one of the very lucky pupils who were under his charge as a teacher and headmaster.

Francis turned our school in the Selby coal fields from being one of the bottom performers to one of the top schools in (against more affluent) North Yorkshire making a huge difference in my life and many others.

That’s not to say he and I always got on, you see he seemed to take a dislike to being called “Franny” and I had a dislike to him balling and shouting a mere 2 inches from the end of my nose!

That said, sitting uncomfortably on the hard wooden floor he would engage me and every other young mind in the room speaking to us in easy to understand parables and teaching Christian principles.

Luckily I have been able to catch up with my hero Reverend Loftus a number of times since school, the last time was at my grandmother’s funeral, it was good to see him and hear him preach again.