Leeds University

Dr (now Prof) Esmail Amooie Foumeny

Then, a lecturer in Heat Transfer in the Dept of Chemical Engineering.

Dr Foumeny was relatively new to lecturing when I started at the Uni. He was promoted from a research fellow. He was Iranian. He was my personal tutor and I called upon his assistance many times throughout my studies to intervene in keeping me on the course and such like.

I didn't have to attend any of his lectures but I heard from many people how good he was at getting the subject across. He had a unique way of making his lectures more interactive. He had more of a classroom approach.

He looked and sounded like Al Pacino and you can imagine he wasn't a person you would want to cross!! However he had a great and unique sense of humour.

A couple of years after my graduation I heard he became the Deputy Head of the Dept. A couple of years later, he became Professor and then Head of Department. He left the department following sickness leave due to stress.

University politics are like being in a goldfish bowl. Petty politics, protocol and pomp rule the day. Such institutions can be archaic even prehistoric, and attempts in turning the tide are almost fruitless. Esmail, you were a victim of this. Don't let academia grind you down, hope you rediscover what you are best at - passing and communicating your skills to others. God willing you'll rediscover your passion if you haven't done already. Take care wherever you are!

Mrs Shorrocks

Lovely lady, native Russian speaker, who had some difficulty in understanding what 'Ha'way The Lads' means. After careful explanation, she gave me a Russian translation of it, which (transliterated) was 'poshli rebyata'.

Last saw her at Colin Johnson's and Gordon Humphreys' retirement do back in 1997 when I escorted her up to the Russian Department for the ceremony. She was still as sharp as ever.

Professor Frank Borras

Great bloke who apparently had a trial for Newcastle United in his youth, Despite that, although I am a Sunderland fan, I never held his youthful folly against him.

Professor of Russian Studies in my time there, and always made time to talk to his students. A genuinely warm person, his enthusiasm for 19th and early 20th century Russian Literature remains one of my fondest memories.

Quite often used to run into him in the Fenton of a lunchtime when Chris butterworth, Phil Neale and I used to go occasionally for pie, peas and an orange juice (ahem!).

Latin Department - Professor Dilke, etc.
French Department - Professor Thody, etc.

Professor Dilke looked and spoke like a character from Dickens! Other lecturers in the department were Mr. Binyon, Mr. Martin, Mr. Harrison, Dr. Gottschalk, Mr. Flintoff and Dr. Earl. Some were good teachers but others were immersed in their research and seemed to regard the students as a necessary evil!

The French Department had a large staff presided over by Professor Thody. I particularly remember my personal tutor, Dr. Evans, who encouraged me.

Dr. Howard Evans
I have just found out that Dr. Evans died on 18th March this year following a long illness. He was my personal tutor in the French Department from 1967 to 1971. Former colleague Dr. Dryhurst paid tribute to his long, successful career at Leeds University. I'm sure he will be remembered by many of his former students. My thoughts go to his widow, children, grandchildren and other family members. May he rest in peace!