HUDDERSFIELD man Gary Boothroyd has inspired hundreds of children during a 28-year teaching career.

Now, he is hoping to inspire a love of the profession by publishing a book about his experiences.

The book is called Are You A Proper Teacher, Sir? and chronicles Mr Boothroyd's time as a PE teacher in Birmingham.

Mr Boothroyd, 54, was born in Lockwood.

He later lived in Almondbury and was a pupil at King James's Grammar School.

He left to go to college in 1968 and trained as a teacher in Cheltenham.

But he got a culture shock when he took up his first post at inner-city Holte comprehensive in Aston, Birmingham, where he eventually became head of PE.

He said: "I tried to bring a bit of Yorkshire gospel in there. It was a big contrast to the way I had been brought up in Huddersfield.

"I had been to a school where there were only white pupils and Birmingham was so multicultural."

Mr Boothroyd learned to understand the details of many different cultures - such as why one boy could not have swimming lessons during religious fast which meant he could not swallow water.

The book details many such anecdotes and incidents, many of them linked to PE - a fog-laden cross country run on the middle of a dual carriageway and attempts at teaching 10-year-olds country dancing, to name but two.

There is also reference to how he started footballer Mark Walters on the road to stardom.

Walters found fame with Aston Villa, Liverpool, Rangers and England.

However, there have also been moments of sadness in Mr Boothroyd's career, including a playground fight which ended with one pupil stabbing another to death.

He details all these prominent moments, both happy and sad, honestly in his book.

Mr Boothroyd decided to write the book after moving back to his native Yorkshire.

He now lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire with his wife Yvonne, but their two grown-up children still live in Birmingham.

He first put pen to paper four years ago and spent three months writing.

He then went back to freelance teaching, but has now decided to stop and pursue writing as a new career.

He said: "Having given up the job I felt I needed to come to terms with what I had gone through in the inner city.

"At times it was very tough going. It was colourful. But the book's very true to life and a positive thing, because there's been a lot of fun and games.

"Some of my students have read it and are amused by it.

"It's about a Huddersfield boy working in a strange environment while trying to keep his Huddersfield values.

"But the overall thing is it's about being a PE teacher and I'm drawing a line under my experiences of doing that."

The book was released on November 1 at Aston Villa's stadium, Villa Park.

Mr Boothroyd himself is a staunch Huddersfield Town supporter and comes to the town every time there is a match.

He is a member of the Old Boys' group at King James's School.

He said: "It's just amazing to finally have the book out. I hope it will appeal.

"I particularly hope it will in Huddersfield, as I still have a great affinity with the area."

He is planning another book but is keeping tight-lipped about the subject matter.

However, he says it will be completely different from Are You A Proper Teacher, Sir?

He said: "Writing is not a career I planned, but I'm hoping to pursue it."

* Are You A Proper Teacher, Sir? costs £7.99 and is published by SportsBooks.