Shropshire's amazing Arthur still teaches at 80

Today Mr Arthur Dyball still teaches at Bedstone College in South Shropshire, at the remarkable age of 80.

Ex-pupils, staff, governors and others travelled from far and wide to pay tribute to the man they describe as an oracle and a gentleman.

Whether they had been pupils in the 1950s or the 1980s, Mr Dyball recognised each one and delighted them by remembering anecdotes of their lives at Bedstone.

Among the guests at the weekend birthday dinner were the Astronomer Royal, Lord Martin Rees, television explorer and wildlife expert Monty Hall and opera singer Rebecca Afonwy-Jones. And taking a back seat was Edwina Currie, wife of ex-pupil and governor at Bedstone, John Jones.

Rebecca, who lives in Montgomery said everyone had ensured they cleared their calendars to attend the celebration.

"He touched the lives of everyone at Bedstone at such a formative time of their lives," she said.

"When I get nervous before singing, I find myself reciting poetry in my head that we learnt in English lessons."

Monty Halls , who travelled from Dartmouth for the dinner, said the master had put him on the path to his career.

"He noticed that I loved wildlife and, with his own money, went out and bought me a book on wildlife, that was the sort of man he was.

"At weekends us boarders would go to his house and watch films – and eat his biscuits. He must have bought so many biscuits over the years."

While John Jones was never taught by Mr Dyball, he was a governor there and said the master was an oracle that everyone went to for information.

His wife, former minister Edwina Currie, said: "Arthur Dyball shows that if we enjoy and are passionate about something, there is no need to retire."

Her comments were echoed by Lord Rees, who at 72 is still a professor at Cambridge and plays an active role in the House of Lords .

"It is wonderful to see Arthur again and so many people that were such good friends in my childhood," he said.

Two of the younger ex-pupils were Stephen Davies, 51, and Emma Pearson, 40, also a former teacher at Bedstone.

"I haven't seen Mr Dyball for 35 years and he remembered that I ran the 800 metres. He is a remarkable man," Mr Davies said.

"He is not just a very, very good teacher, he is someone full of kindness. He really is a real life Mr Chips – with intelligence."

Mrs Pearson said; "He hasn't changed since I was a pupil, he is truly ageless, our own Dorian Grey. He is also so full of knowledge, is someone we always go to for information about the history of Bedstone and the area, an oracle."

The master himself – he says he is not a teacher but a master – said he was honoured to have so many people at his birthday dinner.

And he revealed that he would like to continue at Bedstone for a couple of years yet, at least.

"Of course it all depends on my health and whether the college still wants me. I think they pretend that there things that only I can do to keep me there," he said.

"At the moment I teach Latin to those pupils who would benefit from learning Latin. I have no family so Bedstone is my family, it always has been."

Mr Dyball began his teaching career in 1958 and after just a few months arrived at Bedstone.

He has taught English, history divinity and Latin, has helped out on the sports field, particularly on the cricket pitch, and has always been very involved in the Christian life at the school.

For 29 years he was not only a school master, he was a housemaster, living in and caring for the boarding pupils.

"Some would be homesick, which was only natural, and one kept a close eye on them.

"You try to teach them that school is a world of opportunity and once they got into the routine, formed friendships, played organised sports, they settled down and it was often, then, the parents that found the separation difficult."

"Today, because of mobile phones and emails, contact can be regular."

Mr Dyball has seen endless changes in education some he says, for the better, some not so.

Co-education arrived at Bedstone in the early 1970s.

"You could see benefits to it straight away. It improved the boys' behaviour, particularly as far as language was concerned. Socially, preparing young people for the outside world, it is an advantage.

"It certainly has a softening effect. Girls tend to be more caring. However, teenage love can be a distraction to study."