Because of his natural ability he nevertheless achieved a good School Certificate, left school at 16 and was launched. Conditioned by the unemployment around him, he found much of the traditional curriculum irrelevant for the ‘real world’ as he saw it and the prospect of a safe job.
His intelligence showed itself in early childhood and he won a place at Stand Grammar, a school of good reputation which, however, failed totally to fire his enthusiasm. He never forgot the deprivations and suffering around him, and developed a sympathy for others, especially the under-privileged and disadvantaged, which he never lost. (Typically he insisted on the shortened form, Len, considering his given name pretentious which he most certainly was not).īorn and brought up in a working class area of Manchester during the great Depression of the 20’s and early 30’s, Len remained unashamed, modestly proud even, of his origins. Generations of staff colleagues and students will be saddened to hear of the passing of Len Webb. Leonard (Len) Webb, Bursar, Bulmershe College 1965-1988 Senior Assistant Bursar, University of Reading 1989-1993 died at home of natural causes on 7 February 2017.
