SIR: Les Gent has published two extracts from the story of my childhood in 'Looking Back'. In view of the sad news of the passing of Mr Roger Hampson, former Principal of Bolton Art College,readers may be interested in an abridged version of another short extract.

I attended Bolton Technical College between 1950 and 1952, in the Engineering Department. Two events make the time notable. The first, in what must have been a daring innovation in those days, was the arrival of a female PT instructor in an all-male school. She was young and attractive and provided a welcome distraction when minds wandered during times of boredom in the other classes.

Second, at the same time came a new art master, fresh from training college. He quickly earned the constant attention and respect of his classes through his cheerful enthusiasm and his awe-inspiring ability. He was a brilliant artist and an accomplished caricaturist.

I was once privileged to see his cartooning prowess at its best. I had occasion to visit the Staff Room and just inside the door, pinned on the notice board, were his cartoons of the entire teaching staff captured with such accuracy and comic interpretation as to be devastatingly funny. I was quickly ushered out of the Staff Room when Mr Collier, the woodwork teacher, caught ne eyeing the cartoons, trying not to give them the guffaw they deserved.

The art master's name was Roger Hampson and he later graduated to become Principal of Bolton Art College and, in my opinion, deservedly so.

Mr G Firth, Kerry Grove, Tonge Moor

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.