John Burton
Wednesday 10 May 2023
We recently heard from John Burton an OT down in New Zealand. As an octogenarian, living in New Zealand, I have recently had reason to try to discover a bit more about my early life. Well, grandchildren ask questions, don’t they?I started boarding at Tettenhall during the Summer term in 1943. How that happened is quite a story. My dad, a Squadron Leader in the RAF, was posted to RAF Bobbington (later Halfpenny Green) in March 1943 and remained there until December 1945 when he was demobbed and returned to London to resume his medical practice. The family, consisting of my mother and four young boys, followed him and lived for a while in the village of Claverley before moving to Farmcote Hall, a Grade II listed building nearby. My main memories are of the American forces training in the area and of the chewing gum they gave to local children! As a boy of 6 or 7, I was accused of playing with matches with another boy in the loft of an out-building at Farmcote Hall and I have a vague recollection of doing so. My parents were told "either he goes, or you all go!" There wasn’t much choice, really. So that was how I came to be boarding at Tettenhall at the tender age of 7 in 1943! As far as I know I stayed until the end of 1945. Later, I boarded in Bognor Regis for a short while before the family emigrated to New Zealand in late 1947. Here in Dunedin, I had a term at a day school before being sent to boarding school again until I was 17! I survived alright and eventually qualified in dentistry at the University of Otago, returning to England and practicing in Wallingford and Bedford for about 6 years before taking up a post at my alma mater here in Dunedin where I was a member of the dental teaching staff for nearly 30 years. I took early retirement at the age of 60 and worked for another 8 years as consultant dental officer for the Ministry of Health and the South Island District Health Boards. So, my life in education, which started off rather inauspiciously, ended up on a positive note.My wife and I have been fortunate to be able to travel widely. After I finally retired, I did occasional 'work' for a NZ travel company, leading parties of Kiwis on walking tours, mostly in the UK and on the continent. On my last trip in 2018, I got as far as Claverley, but not Wolverhampton. I'm now 87 and I think that part of my life is over, and travel is limited to 'parts' closer to home. Our last visit to England was shortly before the arrival of Covid19 and 'lockdown'.