TRIBUTES have been paid to a 'great and inspirational' maths teacher, who has died from cancer.

Fred Bury, who worked at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Blackburn, for 35 years, died aged 92.

Mr Bury, who was born in Blackburn, completed his education at the West Park Road school in 1939. He was school captain and head boy.

He won a state scholarship to study mathematics at King’s College, Cambridge, and in 1941, joined the RAF.

Mr Bury saw service in Taranto and Venice in Italy before returning to his former school in 1949 as assistant maths master.

In 1964 he was made head of mathematics and in 1967 he was appointed second master in succession to Dr Frank Tyler.

Dozens of tributes have been paid on the QEGS website to the Mr Bury, who moved to Portsmouth when he retired in 1984.

Andrew Gosden, who was at the school from 1974 to 1980, said: “He had an uncanny knack of making the whole full assembly laugh one minute, and then in the next second follow up with a devastating telling-off.

“I remember the famous assembly where excerpts from Monty Python and elsewhere suddenly started playing through the loudspeakers and it was only Eric Kay ripping the wires out of each speaker that finally stopped it.

“Mr Bury later issued a stern telling-off, but you could tell he secretly appreciated the joke. A great and inspirational teacher.”

Hugh Graham, pupil from 1970 to 1977, said: “He was a master who always commanded respect without ever having to formally exert his authority.

“My memory of him is of a very tall man in his gown sweeping through the school frightening any of us who were up to no good at the time.

“His presence and memory will live on at QEGS for as long as those of us who had the pleasure of knowing him are still alive.”

And former pupil Howard Halliday added: “When Mr Bury started teaching us maths and further maths, he said ‘I’m not coming down to your level, you’re going to come up to mine’.

“Two years and an excellent set of A Levels later, we understood what he meant. He was an inspiring teacher.”

The memorial service will be held at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School on June 22 from 10.30am. Anybody wishing to attend should call 01254 686308.