A comment by Usksider the other day on the subject of poetry in general and W H Davis in particular set me thinking. We all need inspiration in our lives in some shape or form. Sometimes it’s a family member who gives us endless encouragement and help, or a friend. Sometimes it’s a rousing true story about success against all the odds.

Nowadays we have this build ‘em up and knock ‘em down mentality that just loves to raise people above the crowd higher than they deserve, and then kick them down more harshly than they probably deserve when we discover that they are, after all, human like the rest of us. Our fury probably stems from our lack of realistic expectations in the first place. Human beings are human beings, not demi-gods. We shouldn’t therefore expect too much of them.

I still believe that education is vitally important to society, and by education I don’t mean the target-obsessed testing that passes for education nowadays. I mean the education you get from those rare but wonderful teachers who take the time to ‘go the extra mile’ with us when we are young, who spend time imparting their enthusiasms and interests which nowadays, let’s face it, are way outside the national curriculum.

For me I remember having a couple of inspirational teachers in school. I had a teacher who was so keen on art when I was seven that she spent an entire morning explaining Rembrandt’s ‘Polish Rider’ painting to us. We also got the ‘Black Watch’ the following week. Then there was the wonderful Parisian who taught her class of eight year olds only in French, and made me a notebook (which I still have) with nursery rhymes, Christmas carols and pronunciation hints. There was the left handed teacher who advised me where to get a good fountain pen and how to improve my handwriting. And there was also the games teacher who, recognising I was totally useless at team games but good at art, gave me the task of using my calligraphy skills on trophies and shields.

All these teachers made a positive difference to the way I viewed myself. (Okay, there were a few who had a more negative influence, but overall, it’s the good ones I like to remember!)

So I was wondering – did you have any influential teachers when you were in school/college?

Seeking the Green by Tylluan Penry published soon by Capall Bann. For more info, please watch this space!