VISITING Melanie Woollam recently at the bungalow perched high on Cleeve Hill, Watchet it is easy to see why Melanie and her late husband chose this location. The views are spectacular and even on a grey day looking down on the harbour and town and across to the Welsh coast, it would be difficult to find a more perfect spot. Sat at the kitchen table over a cup of tea and slice of wonderful homemade cake, we talked of the life of someone who was by any standards an exceptional man.

 Alan was not a West Country man, his roots firmly placed in the north; he was born in Congleton in Cheshire above a Britannia Building Society branch. His father, George, was a scouser hailing from Bootle, Liverpool and before the outbreak of war he was training to be a pilot on the Mersey, a role he never fulfilled.

His grandfather was a chief engineer for the White Star Line and, rather romantically, his bride-to-be Christina sailed out to New York for the wedding ceremony and they then honeymooned in Cuba. Interesting then that Alan showed no inclination to continue in the seafaring tradition and amusingly Melanie observed that even a slight roll of the sea would turn the reluctant sailor’s complexion green, a sentiment I have every sympathy with.

 When Alan was eleven, his family moved to Bawburgh, Norwich and he attended the state-run boarding school Wymondham College and this was where he developed his lifelong passion for rugby, a sport he was to excel at. It was here that he became the captain of the first fifteen and the school proved impressive, playing against many of the major public schools. It seems likely that Alan first developed his leadership skills at this period. Reaching the age of eighteen, he opted to go to teacher training college back in Cheshire, at Alsager.

 I was curious of course about how Alan and Melanie came to meet each other, the answer being in the Junior Common Room and their friendship rapidly developed, enhanced at the Saturday night disco. I thought it might be interesting to ask Melanie if it was mutual attraction and she said it was.

 “What was it that attracted Alan, do you suppose?” and without hesitation and a beaming smile, she said “my legs!” It was of course the days of the mini skirt. She recalled favourite songs that still resonate today: ‘I heard it through the grapevine’, Marvyn Gaye and the Beatles’ ‘I saw her standing there’. And what attracted Melanie to Alan? “Well, everything. I liked all of him!” Not surprisingly, the pair married in 1971.

 Alan was to begin his teaching career the previous year and so began his long association with Watchet, the town he loved. He arrived at Watchet from his native Cheshire as a young man with aspirations in 1970, travelling the entire distance by train for an interview for a teaching post at the then St Decuman’s School.

 Of course he was successful and immediately brought his many skills to an occupation that was to influence countless pupils who benefited greatly from his incredible ability to inspire even the most reluctant pupil. I’m going to suppose it was at this time that his maxim DYB (do your best) was born, remembered even today by many of his ex-pupils.

 Julie Langdon, I feel, sums up many people’s impression of Alan, first as a teacher and then as a headmaster. Julie Langdon remembers Alan with deep affection. “I started school at St Decuman’s in 1972 when Mr White was headmaster who, in a couple of years, retired and Mr Woollam became the new headmaster”. She says, “I can’t call him Alan, it doesn’t sound right”, which gives you an idea of the respect he commanded.

The following from Julie, who is organising the funeral, gives her own personal tribute, echoed by so many former pupils:

 “I struggled at times and he would encourage me and made lessons less daunting. I didn’t always want to go to school except when he was teaching. I hated sports except at St.Decuman’s. He made it so much fun that I would look forward to the next PE lesson. This desire did not stay with me when I moved up to the other schools. We would participate in country dancing and this would mean taking part at Wells Cathedral in the summer, competing with other schools in the county. He had a famous catchphrase that we would later always remember him saying to us: ‘Do your best’. He would write the words DYB on some of our work that he would mark. This man started me out on my first journey at school, so to me, it’s an absolute privilege that I was asked to take him on his last journey.

 Christine Waterman had a long association with Knights Templar School and paid her own tribute: “Alan was very respected as head teacher of St Decuman’s and Knights Templar School. He had a knack of rallying staff, parents, pupils and the wider community into contributing to whatever fundraising project he thought was needed. Nobody ever said they were unable to help or refused his requests.

 “One fundraising idea he had was for staff and governors to complete the Royal Marines Commando course at Lympstone, the horrors of it still stay with me. Everything he did was for the good of the school and its pupils. He was also a very good, fair boss and I will always be grateful to him for giving me a job I loved.”

 Suzette Jones recalls: “I remember Alan and Mel moving into Doniford Road opposite us when he first came to Watchet, I had the privilege of working as a Classroom Assistant at Knights Templar School for 19 years and the best of those years were when Alan was at the helm. He was the head teacher for all of our three children and we are very grateful for all the opportunities, activities and learning they received, as are countless other parents and past pupils, evidenced by all the wonderful tributes and memories that have been posted on social media.”

 As you might imagine, there is no shortage of similar observations and as a teacher and headmaster, his contribution to so many is a remarkable testimony not only as an educator but also as an inspiration; and you might even say, a friend to so many who were in his temporary care over the years. Alan played a full and active role in his term in the many activities and fundraising schemes that were a common occurrence in the life of the school.

 “School trips were legendary as were the school nativities; gymnastic displays took on a circus like atmosphere with children leaping over more and more prostrate bodies and country dancing came into its own.”

 Alan of course was a fine sportsman and a stipulation to him coming to teach in the West Country was that it must be near a rugby club. He was a fine physical rugby player with frequent trips to A&E to be patched up. He first played for Bridgwater Albion and then the Minehead Barbarians. The pinnacle of his rugby playing career was being awarded, somewhat belatedly, his club cap. In 1980, he completed the London marathon and he and Melanie competed in numerous 5K runs.

 In 2000, Alan took part in the Millennium Portrait Exhibition, a series of portraits of Watchet folk painted by leading portrait painter Hans Schwarz. At the time, Hans was painting a commission for the late Queen Mother, a fan. Hans was a challenging painter and to begin withAlan struggled with his portrait but ultimately came to love it.

 What neither would know at the time was a tragic link between the painter and Alan and Melanie. They had two children; Beth, born in 1974 and Tom, in 1979.  Tragically, Tom died in 2007 losing a battle with cystic fibrosis which claimed his young life at just twenty-eight. Hans had just a single granddaughter whom he portrayed in a startlingly moving portrait just before her untimely death at a similar age and of the same condition.

 Alan and Melanie were anxious to commemorate Tom in some way but were unsure how to go about it until, as she explained to me, on a visit to Lynmouth with friends, they chanced upon a charity bookshop.

 This might be the solution they were looking for and so it proved to be in the most incredible way. With suitable enthusiasm, the couple set about finding premises and they were rewarded with a prime spot on the Esplanade owned by the West Somerset Council adjacent to the tourist office and generously leased at a peppercorn rent. The necessary fundraising was undertaken and with help from local trades-people, the bookshop took shape and was opened in 2009. Even in their wildest dreams they could not have imagined the success that was to follow.

 The Harbour Community Bookshop continues to this very day under the guidance of stalwarts Mary and Jeff Bird and the legion of volunteers and remains as popular as ever. The funds raised are divided equally between the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and many local good causes and organisations. This is not only a fitting epitaph for Tom but also a tribute to Alan and Melanie who have assured that his memory is not forgotten.

 I was reminded of a conversation I had with Bob Cramp, former chair of the Watchet Conservation Society, regarding the bookshop. When he first arrived at Watchet soon after he lost his wife, “Volunteering in the bookshop literally saved my sanity,” - another unexpected benefit of the initiative. 

 Making my way back down the hill into the town, I was greeted by Watchet’s town crier and Punch and Judy man David Milton. We chatted about Alan and once again I was surprised by another anecdote. As he explained, a group call Splashout was set up to raise money and get a swimming pool built at Knights Templar.

 One of the events was a fete at Orchard Wyndham. “We needed things at the fete for people to buy and be entertained. I offered to do Punch and Judy. Alan had puppets which were given to him by a previous headmaster. I used them and I am still doing it now over 35 years later with my own puppets. If it hadn't been for Alan, I would never have started.

 Alan Woollam was without doubt an exceptional man and multi-faceted who touched the lives of so many people in so many different ways. I was intrigued when Melanie told me that she never heard him swear and so many other aspects of his character that defined his character. I knew Alan of course, but I’m left thinking I wish I’d known him better.

 The following is from Julie Langdon about the funeral arrangements.

 “I’m calling his funeral ‘Mr Woollam’s State Funeral’ because that’s basically what it is. Most of Watchet wants to be involved in some way, whether it’s to just attend his funeral, to taking names of attendees, to pallbearing.

 “Knights Templar is being so very obliging by allowing us to have the service there which will be on Saturday March 11 at 11.30am, officiated by Revd Richard Allen who is a family friend and who had taken the funeral service of Melanie and Mr Woollam’s (I can’t call him Alan, it doesn’t sound right ) son, Tom.

 “David Milton, the town crier, will be leading the procession through Watchet town. Marshals, I hope, from Watchet Carnival can help out on the day to keep exits and roads clear for emergencies. I asked Melanie if I could arrange pallbearers to consist of former pupils between the years 1970 when he arrived at St Decs, to 2007 when he retired from KT.

 “I didn’t want to use my own bearers as I wanted to personalise the event due to so many people wanting to offer something. So I decided to ask 12 people to come forward (6 to carry in and 6 to carry out) each with their own memories of Mr Woollam.

 The interest in the whole event has been overwhelming, I’m just sorry I can’t choose everyone. But just being there on the day will have an impact and it will in no doubt, express just how highly thought of and respected he was and will be very much missed. I hope the outcome will bring much comfort to Melanie and her family and for the funeral itself to leave a lasting memory of one of Watchet’s finest.”

The pictures above and an abridged version of this article appears in this week's West Somerset Free Press