Obituary: Tribute to popular teacher and historian Dave Welbourne

One of four sons, Dave was schooled in Burley before Ilkley Grammar, then A Levels at Prince Henry’s Grammar School Otley. Dave was very much influenced by his childhood environment. He used his formative experiences to guide his life and when he got into teaching, after his graduation from Hull, these were used to create brilliant lessons recounting such anecdotes as ‘the ‘fag ash from the butcher’s cig falling in the sausage meat’ to ‘the inadequacies of newspaper in the outside Privy.’

Dave was a story teller of the highest order. Pupils at his first teaching post in Donnington, Lincolnshire, soon learned that he soon absorbed himself into his new surroundings, and the likes of explorer Matthew Flinders and local footballing near misses would punctuate his lessons, as well as his early foray into article writing. Indeed on one occasion I found myself in Flinders Bay, Western Australia, and was so excited to find a monument to Flinders I immediately rang Dave, forgetting the 10-hour time gap. His reaction to being woken at 3am was to ask me to find some more Flinders facts to bring home!

Moving back to his beloved Yorkshire in 1973, Dave was married to Jennifer, with son Paul then newly born Cathy both born in Lincolnshire. The family settled in Horsforth and Dave took up his role of teaching History at Benton Park School in Rawdon.

Dave quickly established himself in the school, where he ran a football team and many lunchtime and after school activities. His Rock and Roll Appreciation Society was a big hit, founded on his love of live music and record collection.

Dave helped on school trips and travelled widely, including one memorable visit to Leningrad and Moscow in 1988 and many football tours to Belgium and Holland.

Whenever he saw a band or one of his heroes (Billy Fury, The Everly Brothers, Bob Dylan, Del Shannon, Bruce Springsteen et al) he kept the programmes and ticket stubs. When word came that the old Odeon in Bradford was to be refurbished Dave volunteered his collection of artefacts for an exhibition. Most of his music heroes had been seen in Bradford.

Dave, second right, with pals at Ilkley Secondary Modern in 1963 (Image: Dave Welbourne)

As a teacher, Dave excelled. One of Her Majesty’s Teaching Inspectorate was overheard saying there was nothing he could tell this ‘bloke’ and he wished he had more time to learn from him.

Lifelong learning was a big thing in Dave’s life. When confronted with taking charge of Environmental Studies, he signed up for a two year Diploma in Education at York University. He went on to do various other degrees and a Masters. If he hadn’t so many other interests a PhD would have been on the cards but Bradford City in the Premiership was to take up a lot of his time!

Dave’s knowledge of Bradford City was legendary, but perhaps his fascination for City players who fell in World War One consumed his interest. Dave went on an annual pilgrimage to the battlefields of Northern France and was part of the Bus to Bradford group which funded a monument in a French village to the Bradford City Fallen.

Dave, second left, was a big Bradford City fan (Image: Chris Welbourne)

Dave became Head of History at Benton Park. He was a brilliant head of department; a people person and he looked after his staff as though they were family. Retiring in 2006, he taught, inspired and advised thousands of young people. Staff who had the privilege of seeing him teach were treated to a ‘master at work’. It would be very hard to find a better teacher nor one so prepared to pass on good practice to others.

The kids at Benton Park loved him because he was fair, firm and they aspired to having ‘Big Dave’ for History. It’s fair to say he often drifted off the point but my goodness that probably made it an even better lesson.

If you were to ask one of his former charges what historical character brought Dave ‘to light’ it would be Blind Jack Metcalfe, the Knaresborough road builder. He went to Blind Jack’s grave in Spofforth on the 300th anniversary of his birth.

After retirement Dave became a prolific writer for local publications, in the main it was the Telegraph & Argus. He loved the research and resulting publication. From the Brontes to Humbug Billy, Joseph Priestley to Bradford City Ladies football teams of the 1920s, his articles were fascinating and brilliantly written.

Dave remarried in 2009 and he and his wife Sue loved their travels to Lanzarote and the Yorkshire coast. But returning home in Otley was always a joy.

A dedicated family man, Dave adored his two children and grandchildren. Quite simply Dave was a wonderful human being. Interesting, quirky (when he gave directions it was by using local pubs), opinionated, socially aware, a peace activist and the most incredible communicator. He had lots of very proud moments in life but being invited to a Buckingham Place garden party for his Service to Education and his invitation to become a Fellow of the Historical Society were up there with his treasures.

* Richard Hoban, friend and colleague for 51 years.

* Emma Clayton, Community Content Editor at the Telegraph & Argus, said:

"Dave was a remarkable historian and was incredibly knowledgeable about a seemingly endless range of topics.

In recent years he wrote many articles for the T&A - his prolific output was a very signification contribution to our features pages, and his stories were of great interest to our readers. 
Dave wrote beautifully about his childhood, particularly in an article recollecting his memories of the Coronation for our special supplement commemorating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 
He also wrote a wonderful feature about his happy memories of going to the Gaumont as a teenager and seeing acts such as the Everly Brothers, Billy Fury and the Rolling Stones. 
I often told Dave that I learned a lot from reading his articles and that I wished I'd had a history teacher like him.
Dave always enjoyed seeing his work in the T&A. He was a lovely, friendly man, with an infectious zest for life. I will miss him very much."