RETIRED former staff joined other colleagues and friends just before Christmas to mark the retirement of Tom Anderson, chief technician in the school of education at the University of Huddersfield.
Tom had worked for 43 years in education and tributes to his outstanding loyalty and continuous help both to staff and students were acknowledged to a packed room in Lockside, with gifts, a power point presentation covering his work and a speech from the head of school services, Jacqui Mellor.
Tom, who lives in Birkby with his wife Carol managed a remarkable speech himself which in turn acknowledged the place of the university in his life and what he had gained from his work both in experiences and solid friendships.
He reminded everyone that he had left school at 16 to be an apprentice electrician and had been a guitarist in a 60’s band Billy Silver and the Lawmen.
After eight years with Venus Electrical he became an audio visual officer with the then Huddersfield Corporation Education Department until 1972 when, because of his specialist knowledge he was transferred to Holly Bank and became responsible there for educational technology support. In 1974 Holly Bank became the faculty of education of the polytechnic and in 1993 this became the school of education within the University of Huddersfield. In 2001 Tom and the school were relocated to Lockside, on Firth Street.
During this time Tom gained a degree in education and has travelled extensively to China, India, Jordan, Ghana and other countries giving technical support and teaching in educational development projects.
In retirement Tom and Carol plan to have more extensive travel in their motorhome as well as tackling a rather long list of accumulated jobs in their home and garden.
But underlying all this is Tom’s dedication to his life long hobby of sound technology.
This all began at the tender age of four when someone put a pair of earphones on his head through which he listened to a crystal set.
For more than 60 years this fascination with sound technology, connected to records, radio and television has never ceased, and his books, memorabilia – and knowledge reflect all this.
