After graduating in separate subjects from Oxford and London Universities, Brian taught to GCSE and A-Level for six years in the UK before his appointment to the Commonwealth-American School, the precursor of the International School of Lausanne. Promoted to Deputy Head and Headmaster, he served the school from 1966 to 1973. He was a founder-member and first Chairman of the SGIS. In 1973 he became Head of the Junior English School in Rome, moving there for six years with his family and soon establishing the Rome International Schools Association. In 1979 Brian returned to the UK for his longest headship, one of nineteen years with the historic Blue Coat School, Birmingham, founded in 1722. He extended its international development and brought it into membership of the European Council of International Schools. Elected to the National Council of the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools, he became Chairman of its Education Committee, supporting the curricular framework and quality delivery of its 550 member schools and representing IAPS for regular briefings in York from the National Curriculum Council. He took its message to groups of schools in the UK and overseas and acted for IAPS with other national organisations, too. In 1999, delaying retirement to become the temporary Head of a school in trouble, Brian was honoured with an MBE, presented to him by Her Majesty the Queen for his extensive services to education. Visits to ISL and the provision of archive materials always kept the Swiss link alive. Brian and his wife, Jennifer, now live in Torquay, Devon. Today he is in his ninetieth year, recently elected to a Fellowship of the Royal Geographical Society, while still working with schools and owing so much to the SGIS.
Brian writes separately: In my early years in Lausanne, I also taught part-time at Brillantmont International School, known then as Chateau Brillantmont, invited by Peggy Templeton-Strong in her capacity as Director of Education. Jennifer and I will never forget her friendship and her kindness to us and to our own young children, Andrew and Fiona. It is often said that it is the quality of a life, rather than its quantity, which counts in the end. Peggy was blessed with both in her professional and personal life and it was a great privilege to know and work with her.